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A Study on the Expression of Genes Involved in Carotenoids and Anthocyanins During Ripening in Fruit Peel of Green, Yellow, and Red Colored Mango Cultivars

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Abstract

Mango (Mangiferaindica L.) fruits are generally classified based on peel color into green, yellow, and red types. Mango peel turns from green to yellow or red or retain green colors during ripening. The carotenoids and anthocyanins are the important pigments responsible for the colors of fruits. In the present study, peels of different colored cultivars at three ripening stages were characterized for pigments, colors, and gene expression analysis. The yellow colored cultivar “Arka Anmol” showed higher carotenoid content, wherein β-carotene followed by violaxanthin were the major carotenoid compounds that increased during ripening. The red colored cultivars were characterized with higher anthocyanins with cyanidin-3-O-monoglucosides and peonidin-3-O-glucosides as the major anthocyanins. The gene expression analysis by qRT-PCR showed the higher expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes viz. lycopene-β-cyclase and violaxanthin-de-epoxidase in yellow colored cv. Arka Anmol, and the expression was found to increase during ripening. However, in red colored cv. “Janardhan Pasand,” there is increased regulation of all anthocyanin biosynthetic genes including transcription factors MYB and basic helix loop. This indicated the regulation of the anthocyanins by these genes in red mango peel. The results showed that the accumulation pattern of particular pigments and higher expression of specific biosynthetic genes in mango peel impart different colors.

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Abbreviations

PSY:

Phytoene synthase

PDS:

Phytoene desaturase

ZDS:

ζ-carotene desaturase

bLYC:

Lycopene β-cyclase

BCH:

β-carotene hydroxylase

ZE:

Zeaxanthin epoxydase

VDE:

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase

CHS:

Chalcone synthase

CHI:

Chalcone isomerase

F3H:

Flavanone 3-hydroxylase

F3,5H:

Flavonoid 3,5-hydroxylase

ANS:

Anthocyanin synthase

DFR:

Dihydroflavonol-4-reductase

UFGT:

UDP-glucose:flavonoid-O-glycosyl-transferase

BHLHX:

Basic helix loop helix

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Acknowledgements

GK acknowledges University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, for providing financial support in the form of Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF; RGNF-ST-GOA-7140). Authors acknowledge Dr. YTN Reddy (Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru) for providing fruits for this study. KVR and MRD acknowledge the financial assistance from ICAR Network Project on Transgenics in Crops (NPTC): functional genomics of plant type, maturity, and fruit quality traits in mango.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hessarghatta Lake Post, Bengaluru, 560 089, India

    G. R. Karanjalker, K.V. Ravishankar, K.S. Shivashankara, M.R. Dinesh, T. K. Roy & D. V. Sudhakar Rao

  2. College of Horticulture, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, GKVK Post, Bengaluru, 560 065, India

    G. R. Karanjalker

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  1. G. R. Karanjalker
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Correspondence to K.V. Ravishankar.

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Karanjalker, G.R., Ravishankar, K., Shivashankara, K. et al. A Study on the Expression of Genes Involved in Carotenoids and Anthocyanins During Ripening in Fruit Peel of Green, Yellow, and Red Colored Mango Cultivars. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 184, 140–154 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-017-2529-x

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