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Coordinated regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) fruit by a R2R3 MYB transcription factor

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Abstract

Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) is a fruit crop with cultivars producing fruit ranging from white (Shuijing, SJ) to red (Dongkui, DK) and dark red-purple (Biqi, BQ), as a result of different levels of anthocyanin accumulation. Genes encoding the anthocyanin biosynthesis enzymes chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) and UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT), as well as MrMYB1, a R2R3 MYB transcription factor homologous to known activators of anthocyanin biosynthesis, were isolated from ripe fruit of BQ. Differences in mRNA abundance of MrF3H, MrF3′H, MrDFR1, MrANS and MrUFGT were highly correlated with differential accumulation of anthocyanins between cultivars, suggesting coordinated regulation by transcription factors. The transcript level of MrMYB1 was strongly associated with the anthocyanin content in ripe fruit of the three cultivars, as well as different anthocyanin containing tissues of BQ fruit. Fruit bagging strongly inhibited anthocyanin accumulation in fruit as well as the expression of all anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and MrMYB1. Over-expression of MrMYB1 stimulated both anthocyanin accumulation and activated an Arabidopsis-DFR promoter in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). MrMYB1d, an allele with a 1 bp deletion at nucleotide 30 of coding sequence, was observed in SJ and DK fruit, suggesting that a nonsense mutation of the MYB1 protein may be responsible for no or low expression of MYB1 in the white and red fruit. These results show that coordinated expression of multiple biosynthetic genes is involved in anthocyanin accumulation in Chinese bayberry fruit, and this is regulated by MrMYB1.

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Abbreviations

ANS:

Anthocyanidin synthase

bHLH:

Basic-helix-loop-helix

BQ:

Biqi

CDS:

Coding sequence

CHI:

Chalcone isomerase

CHS:

Chalcone synthase

DAFB:

Days after full bloom

DFR:

Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase

DK:

Dongkui

EBGs:

Early biosynthetic genes

F3H:

Flavanone 3-hydroxylase

F3′H:

Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase

LBGs:

Late biosynthetic genes

LUC:

Firefly luciferase

Q-PCR:

Real-time quantitative PCR

REN:

Renilla luciferase

SJ:

Shuijing

TFs:

Transcription factors

UFGT:

UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Special Scientific Research Fund of Agricultural Public Welfare Profession of China (200903044), the National Research and Development Project of Transgenic Crops of China (2009ZX08009-122B), the 948 project, the Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province (2006C14016, 2009C14023), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20090101110099), the Science Foundation of Chinese University, and the 111 project (No. B06014). It is part of a collaborative programme between Zhejiang University, China, and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, NZ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Fruit Quality Biology/The State Agriculture Ministry Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Zhejiang University, Huajiachi Campus, 310029, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Shan-Shan Niu, Chang-Jie Xu, Wang-Shu Zhang, Bo Zhang, Xian Li & Kun-Song Chen

  2. The New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand

    Kui Lin-Wang, Ian B. Ferguson & Andrew C. Allan

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  1. Shan-Shan Niu
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  2. Chang-Jie Xu
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  3. Wang-Shu Zhang
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  4. Bo Zhang
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  7. Ian B. Ferguson
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  8. Andrew C. Allan
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  9. Kun-Song Chen
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Correspondence to Kun-Song Chen.

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S.-S. Niu and C.-J. Xu contributed equally to this work.

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Niu, SS., Xu, CJ., Zhang, WS. et al. Coordinated regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) fruit by a R2R3 MYB transcription factor. Planta 231, 887–899 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-009-1095-z

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