Donoso Amanda, Rivas Constanza, Zamorano Alan, Peña Álvaro, Handford Michael, Aros Danilo
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile.
Plants (Basel). 2020 Dec 29;10(1):55. doi: 10.3390/plants10010055.
Flower colour is mainly due to the accumulation of flavonoids, carotenoids and betalains in the petals. Of these pigments, flavonoids are responsible for a wide variety of colours ranging from pale yellow (flavones, flavonols and flavanodiols) to blue-violet (anthocyanins). This character plays a crucial ecological role by attracting and guiding pollinators. Moreover, in the ornamental plants market, colour has been consistently identified as the main feature chosen by consumers when buying flowers. Considering the importance of this character, the aim of this study was to evaluate flower colour in the native Chilean geophyte , by using three different approaches. Firstly, the phenotype was assessed using both a colour chart and a colourimeter, obtaining CIELab parameters. Secondly, the anthocyanin content of the pigmented tepals was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and finally, the expression of two key flavonoid genes, () and () was analysed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Visual evaluation of flower colour identified 5 accessions, ranging from white (Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) N999D) to pink (RHS 68C). Moreover, this visual evaluation of the accessions correlated highly with the CIELab parameters obtained by colourimetry. An anthocyanidin corresponding to a putative 6-hydroxycyanidin was identified, which was least abundant in the white accession (RHS N999D). Although was not expressed differentially between the accessions, the expression of was significantly higher in the accession with pink flowers (RHS 68C). These results suggest a correlation between phenotype, anthocyanin content and expression for determining flower colour of , which could be of interest for further studies, especially those related to the breeding of this species with ornamental value.
花色主要归因于花瓣中黄酮类化合物、类胡萝卜素和甜菜色素的积累。在这些色素中，黄酮类化合物可呈现多种颜色，从浅黄色（黄酮、黄酮醇和黄烷二醇）到蓝紫色（花青素）。这一特性通过吸引和引导传粉者发挥着至关重要的生态作用。此外，在观赏植物市场中，颜色一直被认为是消费者购买花卉时选择的主要特征。鉴于这一特性的重要性，本研究旨在通过三种不同方法评估智利本土球根植物的花色。首先，使用色卡和色差仪评估表型，获得CIELab参数。其次，通过高效液相色谱法（HPLC）评估有颜色的花被片的花青素含量，最后，使用实时聚合酶链反应（PCR）分析两个关键黄酮类基因（ ）和（ ）的表达。对花色的视觉评估确定了5个种质，范围从白色（皇家园艺学会（RHS）N999D）到粉色（RHS 68C）。此外，对这些种质的视觉评估与通过比色法获得的CIELab参数高度相关。鉴定出一种与推定的6 - 羟基花青素相对应的花青素，其在白色种质（RHS N999D）中含量最少。虽然 在不同种质间没有差异表达，但 在粉色花种质（RHS 68C）中的表达显著更高。这些结果表明，表型、花青素含量和 表达之间存在相关性，这对于进一步的研究，特别是与该具有观赏价值物种的育种相关的研究可能具有重要意义。
