Identification of delphinidin 3-O-(6''-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside-3'-O-beta-glucoside, a postulated intermediate in the biosynthesis of ternatin C5 in the blue petals of Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea).

Ternatins are blue anthocyanins found in the petals of Clitoria ternata (butterfly pea). Among them, ternatin C5 (delphinidin 3-O-(6''-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside-3',5'-di-O-beta-glucoside; 2) has the structure common to all the ternatins, which is characterized by its glucosylation pattern: a 3,3',5'-triglucosylated anthocyanidin. In the course of studying biosynthetic pathways of ternatins, the key enzymatic activities to produce ternatin C5 were discovered in a crude enzyme preparation from the petals of a blue petal line of C.

Biosynthesis of malonylated flavonoid glycosides on the basis of malonyltransferase activity in the petals of Clitoria ternatea.

The crude malonyltransferase from the petals of Clitoria ternatea was characterized enzymatically to investigate its role on the biosynthetic pathways of anthocyanins and flavonol glycosides. In C. ternatea, a blue flower cultivars (DB) and mauve flower variety (WM) accumulate polyacylated anthocyanins (ternatins) and delphinidin 3-O-(6''-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside which is one of the precursors of ternatins, respectively.

Molecular and functional analysis of a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene of Rosa hybrida.

A vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene was isolated from Rosa hybrida (RhNHX1). The amino acid sequence encoded by the RhNHX1 cDNA shows homology to that of the yeast NHX1. The cDNA contains 2080 nucleotides and an open reading frame of 1632 nucleotides that encodes a protein of 543 amino acids with a deduced molecular mass of 60,045 daltons.

Plant biochemistry: anthocyanin biosynthesis in roses.

Anthocyanin is the principal pigment in flowers, conferring intense red-to-blue cyanic colours on petals and helping to attract pollinators. Its biosynthesis involves glycosylation steps that are important for the stability of the pigment and for its aqueous solubility in vacuoles. Here we describe anthocyanin biosynthesis in roses (Rosa hybrida), which is unlike the pathway used in other flowers in that it relies on a single enzyme to achieve glycosylation at two different positions on the precursor molecule.

High-frequency transformation of Lobelia erinus L. by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer.

A highly efficient transformation procedure was developed for Lobelia erinus. Leaf or cotyledon discs were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the binary vector plasmid pIG121Hm, which contains a beta-glucuronidase gene with an intron as a reporter gene and both the neomycin phosphotransferase II and hygromycin phosphotransferase genes as selectable markers. The hygromycin-resistant calli produced on the selection medium were transferred to MS medium supplemented with 0.

Flavonoid composition related to petal color in different lines of Clitoria ternatea.

Flavonoids in the petals of several C. ternatea lines with different petal colors were investigated with LC/MS/MS. Delphinidin 3-O-(2"-O-alpha-rhamnosyl-6"-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside was newly isolated from the petals of a mauve line (wm) together with three known anthocyanins.

Malonylated flavonol glycosides from the petals of Clitoria ternatea.

Three flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 3-O-(2"-O-alpha-rhamnosyl-6"-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-(2"-O-alpha-rhamnosyl-6"-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside, and myricetin 3-O-(2",6"-di-O-alpha-rhamnosyl)-beta-glucoside were isolated from the petals of Clitoria ternatea cv. Double Blue, together with eleven known flavonol glycosides. Their structures were identified using UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopy.

The 3'-terminal sequence of chinese yam necrotic mosaic virus genomic RNA: a close relationship with macluravirus.

The nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal 1,905 residues of the Chinese yam necrotic mosaic virus (ChYNMV) RNA genome was determined. It contains one long open reading frame, which consists of 1,671 nucleotides encoding a protein of 557 amino acid residues. A partial amino acid sequence of the coat protein determined from purified ChYNMV particles was identical to the portion of the amino acid sequence deduced from the determined nucleotide sequence, which suggests that the nucleotide sequence includes the coat protein gene.

Transformation and regeneration of garlic (Allium sativum L.) by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer.

 By using highly regenerative calluses, we developed a stable transformation system in garlic (Allium sativum L.). The temperature and number of days of co-cultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens was shown to be an important factor in transient expression of the uid A gene.

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura).

 Somatic embryogenesis was observed in ray-floret explants of Dendranthema grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura cv. Aboukyu on Murashige and Skoog medium containing high concentrations of 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) and kinetin.

A low-temperature method for maintaining plant regeneration activity in embryogenic callus of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

 A method was developed to maintain plant regeneration activity of rice cells (Oryza sativa L.) using embryogenic callus. Calluses were cultured in suspension, then on solid medium, to form compact globular callus resistant to low-temperature stress and with high plant regeneration activity.