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Effect of auxin, cytokinin and nitrogen on anthocyanin biosynthesis in callus cultures of red-fleshed apple (Malus sieversii f.niedzwetzkyana)

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Abstract

We have induced callus tissues from one R6/R6 homozygous genotype red-fleshed apple individual which was the hybrid offspring of Malus sieversii f.niedzwetzkyana and ‘Fuji’, and investigated the effect of auxin alone and auxin combined with cytokinin or nitrogen deficiency on anthocyanin synthesis. In callus culture, auxin alone significantly inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis with the increase of auxin concentration. The inhibitory effect of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on anthocyanin accumulation was about tenfold stronger than naphthalene acetic acid. Anthocyanin regulatory genes (MdMYB10 and MdbHLH3) and structural genes were dramatically suppressed by 0.6 mg/L 2,4-D. The inhibitory effect of auxin on anthocyanin biosynthesis was influenced by cytokinins 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) as well as nitrogen deficiency. Auxin and cytokinin displayed the interaction in controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis. Co-treatment of auxin and cytokinin (BAP or TDZ) significantly enhanced the cytokinin-induced increase in anthocyanin levels but too high auxin concentration strongly inhibited anthocyanin synthesis even in the presence of cytokinin. Nitrogen deficiency could reverse the inhibition of anthocyanin accumulation by auxin.

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Abbreviations

2, 4-D:

2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

NAA:

Naphthalene acetic acid

BAP:

6-Benzylaminopurine

TDZ:

Thidiazuron

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201303093) and Natl. Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31171932 and 31201593).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Tai-An, Shandong, China

    Xiao-Hao Ji, Yan-Ting Wang, Rui Zhang, Shu-Jing Wu, Meng-Meng An, Min Li, Xiao-Liu Chen, Yan-Min Zhang & Xue-Sen Chen

  2. National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, Tai-An, Shandong, China

    Xiao-Hao Ji, Yan-Ting Wang, Rui Zhang, Shu-Jing Wu, Meng-Meng An, Min Li, Xiao-Liu Chen, Yan-Min Zhang & Xue-Sen Chen

  3. College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Tai-An, Shandong, China

    Xiao-Hao Ji, Yan-Ting Wang, Rui Zhang, Shu-Jing Wu, Meng-Meng An, Min Li, Xiao-Liu Chen & Xue-Sen Chen

  4. College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong, 271018, China

    Yan-Min Zhang

  5. Shandong Institute of Pomology, Tai-An, 271000, China

    Chuan-Zeng Wang

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  1. Xiao-Hao Ji
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  2. Yan-Ting Wang
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Correspondence to Xue-Sen Chen.

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Ji, XH., Wang, YT., Zhang, R. et al. Effect of auxin, cytokinin and nitrogen on anthocyanin biosynthesis in callus cultures of red-fleshed apple (Malus sieversii f.niedzwetzkyana). Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 120, 325–337 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-014-0609-y

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