Abstract
In order to generate new flower colors in lisianthus, a flavonolsynthase (FLS) coding sequence was isolated from lisianthus (Eustomagrandiflorum Grise.) using a petunia homologue (pCGP481) as a probe.The endogenous FLS mRNA transcript occurs early in petal development,concomitant with accumulation of flavonols in bud tissue, and ceases at onsetofanthocyanin pigment production. Southern DNA analysis indicated FLS as a memberof a multigene family in lisianthus. Transgenic plants of a purple floweredlisianthus line expressing antisense FLS under the control of the CaMV35Spromoter produced flowers more red in color (magenta) than the originaluntransformed plant. The transgenic plants also showed novel red pigmentation(cyanidin) in early stage buds as well as deeply colored pistils, andaccumulated dihydroflavonols at the expense of flavonols. Further, analysis ofthe progeny of crosses between the primary transformants and a deeply pigmentedpurple variety (Wakamurasagi) showed this novel phenotype to be stablyinherited. Field trial assessment of antisense FLS plants indicated variationinthe petal and early bud phenotype although variation in the transgenic flowercolor was within the range normally seen in commercial cultivars grown undercommercial conditions.
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Nielsen, K., Deroles, S.C., Markham, K.R. et al. Antisense flavonol synthase alters copigmentation and flower color in lisianthus. Molecular Breeding 9, 217–229 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020320809654
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020320809654