Lilac (Syringa oblata) genome provides insights into its evolution and molecular mechanism of petal color change.

Color change during flower opening is common; however, little is understood on the biochemical and molecular basis related. Lilac (Syringa oblata), a well-known woody ornamental plant with obvious petal color changes, is an ideal model. Here, we presented chromosome-scale genome assembly for lilac, resolved the flavonoids metabolism, and identified key genes and potential regulatory networks related to petal color change.

Identification of leucoanthocyanidin reductase and anthocyanidin reductase genes involved in proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in Malus crabapple plants.

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) from plants are a nutritionally valuable component of the human diet and play important roles in defense against pests and diseases. PAs are products of the flavonoid pathway, which also leads to the production of anthocyanins and flavonols. The enzymes leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) and anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) are involved in PA biosynthesis.

McMYB10 Modulates the Expression of a Ubiquitin Ligase, McCOP1 During Leaf Coloration in Crabapple.

In higher plants, anthocyanins are protective secondary metabolites, which contribute to the color of leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits, and have been found to have an antioxidant role in human health. In this study, we determined the expression of and its specific E3 ubiquitin ligase, McCOP1, in crabapple leaves during the course of a day and in five leaf development stages. Interestingly, the results showed that the transcription level of genes was higher in daylight than at night, and the transcripts of presented a positive correlation with the transcription of and and anthocyanin accumulation in a crabapple cultivar with red-colored leaves.

Characteristics of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase gene promoters from different leaf colored crabapple cultivars.

Anthocyanins are secondary metabolites in land plants that contribute to the colors of leaves and flowers, and are nutritionally valuable components of the human diet. The gene plays an important role in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. In this study, we investigated the regulation of expression and in different crabapple cultivars that show distinct patterns of leaf coloration, and how it influences leaf anthocyanin accumulation and coloration.

McMYB12 Transcription Factors Co-regulate Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Malus Crabapple.

The flavonoid compounds, proanthocyanidins (PAs), protect plants from biotic stresses, contribute to the taste of many fruits, and are beneficial to human health in the form of dietary antioxidants. In this study, we functionally characterized two Malus crabapple R2R3-MYB transcription factors, McMYB12a and McMYB12b, which co-regulate PAs and anthocyanin biosynthesis. McMYB12a was shown to be mainly responsible for upregulating the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes by binding to their promoters, but to be only partially responsible for regulating PAs biosynthetic genes.

Two novel anoxia-induced ethylene response factors that interact with promoters of deastringency-related genes from persimmon.

A hypoxic environment is generally undesirable for most plants and stimulates anaerobic metabolism. It is a beneficial treatment, however, for the removal of astringency from persimmon to improve the fruit quality after harvest. High soluble tannins (SCTs) content is one of most important causes of astringency.

Ethylene-responsive transcription factors interact with promoters of ADH and PDC involved in persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruit de-astringency.

The persimmon fruit is a particularly good model for studying fruit response to hypoxia, in particular, the hypoxia-response ERF (HRE) genes. An anaerobic environment reduces fruit astringency by converting soluble condensed tannins (SCTs) into an insoluble form. Although the physiology of de-astringency has been widely studied, its molecular control is poorly understood.

Expression of ethylene response genes during persimmon fruit astringency removal.

Thirteen ethylene signaling related genes were isolated and studied during ripening of non-astringent 'Yangfeng' and astringent 'Mopan' persimmon fruit. Some of these genes were characterized as ethylene responsive. Treatments, including ethylene and CO(2), had different effects on persimmon ripening, but overlapping roles in astringency removal, such as increasing the reduction in levels of soluble tannins.