Identification of Anthocyanins-Related Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) Genes in the Genome of Cultivated Strawberry ( × ).

Anthocyanins are responsible for the red color of strawberry, they are a subclass of flavonoids synthesized in cytosol and transferred to vacuole to form the visible color. Previous studies in model and ornamental plants indicated members of the glutathione S-transferase () gene family were involved in vacuolar accumulation of anthocyanins. In the present study, a total of 130 genes were identified in the genome of cultivated strawberry ( × ), which were unevenly distributed across the 28 chromosomes from the four subgenomes. Evolutionary analysis revealed the expansion of family was under stable selection and mainly drove by WGD/segmental duplication event. Classification and phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the genes were clarified into seven subclasses, among which , , and belonging to Phi class were closely related to , an anthocyanin-related of wildwood strawberry, and this clade was clustered with other known anthocyanin-related . RNAseq-based expression analysis at different developmental stages of strawberry revealed that the expression of , , , , and was gradually increased during the fruit ripening, consistent with the anthocyanins accumulation. These expression patterns of those five genes were also significantly correlated with those of other anthocyanin biosynthetic genes such as , , and , as well as anthocyanin regulatory gene . These results indicated , , , , and may function in vacuolar anthocyanin accumulation in cultivated strawberry.