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Flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes in grape skin are differentially regulated by temperature and light conditions

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Abstract

Temperature and light are important environmental factors that affect flavonoid biosynthesis in grape berry skin. However, the interrelationships between temperature and light effects on flavonoid biosynthesis have not been fully elucidated at the molecular level. Here, we investigated the effects of temperature and light conditions on the biosynthesis of flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavonols) and the expression levels of related genes in an in vitro environmental experiment using detached grape berries. Sufficient anthocyanin accumulation in the grape skin was observed under a low temperature (15 °C) plus light treatment, whereas high temperature (35 °C) or dark treatment severely suppressed anthocyanin accumulation. This indicates that the accumulation of anthocyanins is dependent on both low temperature and light. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the responses of three MYB-related genes (VlMYBA1-3, VlMYBA1-2, and VlMYBA2) to temperature and light differed greatly even though the products of all three genes had the ability to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway genes. Furthermore, the expression levels of other MYB-related genes and many flavonoid biosynthesis pathway genes were regulated independently by temperature and light. We also found that temperature and light conditions affected the anthocyanin composition in the skin through the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway genes. Our results suggest that low temperature and light have a synergistic effect on the expression of genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. These findings provide new information about the relationships between environmental factors and flavonoid accumulation in grape berry skin.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

antho-MATE:

Anthocyanin multidrug and toxic extrusion

CHI:

Chalcone isomerase

CHS:

Chalcone synthase

DFR:

Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase

F3H:

Flavanone 3-hydroxylase

F3′H:

Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase

F3′5′H:

Flavonoid 3′5′-hydroxylase

FLS4:

Flavonol synthase

GST:

Glutathione-S-transferase

LDOX:

Leucoanthocyanin dioxygenase

NCED1:

9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1

OMT:

O-methyltransferase

Pn3G:

Peonidin-3-monoglucoside

Pn3pG5G:

Peonidin-3-(p-coumarylglucoside)-5-glucoside

UFGT:

UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the research program “Elucidation of biological mechanisms of photo response and development of advanced technologies utilizing light” provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grape and Persimmon Research Station, National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Akitsu 301-2, Higashi Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-2494, Japan

    Akifumi Azuma, Hiroshi Yakushiji & Shozo Kobayashi

  2. National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8605, Japan

    Yoshiko Koshita

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  1. Akifumi Azuma
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  2. Hiroshi Yakushiji
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  3. Yoshiko Koshita
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  4. Shozo Kobayashi
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Correspondence to Akifumi Azuma.

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Azuma, A., Yakushiji, H., Koshita, Y. et al. Flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes in grape skin are differentially regulated by temperature and light conditions. Planta 236, 1067–1080 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-012-1650-x

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