Karppinen Katja, Lafferty Declan J, Albert Nick W, Mikkola Nelli, McGhie Tony, Allan Andrew C, Afzal Bilal M, Häggman Hely, Espley Richard V, Jaakola Laura
Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, 9037, Norway.
The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand.
New Phytol. 2021 Nov;232(3):1350-1367. doi: 10.1111/nph.17669. Epub 2021 Aug 19.
The regulatory network of R2R3 MYB transcription factors in anthocyanin biosynthesis is not fully understood in blue-coloured berries containing delphinidin compounds. We used blue berries of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) to comprehensively characterise flavonoid-regulating R2R3 MYBs, which revealed a new type of co-regulation in anthocyanin biosynthesis between members of MYBA-, MYBPA1- and MYBPA2-subgroups. VmMYBA1, VmMYBPA1.1 and VmMYBPA2.2 expression was elevated at berry ripening and by abscisic acid treatment. Additionally, VmMYBA1 and VmMYBPA1.1 expression was strongly downregulated in a white berry mutant. Complementation and transient overexpression assays confirmed VmMYBA1 and VmMYBA2 to induce anthocyanin accumulation. Promoter activation assays showed that VmMYBA1, VmMYBPA1.1 and VmMYBPA2.2 had similar activity towards dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), but differential regulation activity for UDP-glucose flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT) and flavonoid 3'5'-hydroxylase (F3'5'H) promoters. Silencing of VmMYBPA1.1 in berries led to the downregulation of key anthocyanin and delphinidin biosynthesis genes. Functional analyses of other MYBPA regulators, and a member of novel MYBPA3 subgroup, associated them with proanthocyanidin biosynthesis and F3'5'H expression. The existence of 18 flavonoid-regulating MYBs indicated gene duplication, which may have enabled functional diversification among MYBA, MYBPA1 and MYBPA2 subgroups. Our results provide new insights into the intricate regulation of the complex anthocyanin profile found in blue-coloured berries involving regulation of both cyanidin and delphinidin branches.
在含有飞燕草素化合物的蓝色浆果中,R2R3 MYB转录因子在花青素生物合成中的调控网络尚未完全明晰。我们利用欧洲越橘(Vaccinium myrtillus)的蓝色浆果全面表征了调控类黄酮的R2R3 MYB,揭示了MYBA-、MYBPA1-和MYBPA2-亚组成员之间在花青素生物合成中的一种新型协同调控。VmMYBA1、VmMYBPA1.1和VmMYBPA2.2的表达在浆果成熟时以及经脱落酸处理后升高。此外,VmMYBA1和VmMYBPA1.1的表达在一个白色浆果突变体中强烈下调。互补和瞬时过表达试验证实VmMYBA1和VmMYBA2可诱导花青素积累。启动子激活试验表明,VmMYBA1、VmMYBPA1.1和VmMYBPA2.2对二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶(DFR)和花青素合酶(ANS)具有相似的活性,但对UDP-葡萄糖类黄酮3-O-葡萄糖基转移酶(UFGT)和类黄酮3'5'-羟化酶(F3'5'H)启动子具有不同的调控活性。在浆果中沉默VmMYBPA1.1导致关键花青素和飞燕草素生物合成基因的下调。对其他MYBPA调控因子以及新型MYBPA3亚组的一个成员的功能分析,将它们与原花青素生物合成和F3'5'H表达联系起来。18个调控类黄酮的MYB的存在表明发生了基因复制,这可能使MYBA、MYBPA1和MYBPA2亚组之间实现了功能多样化。我们的研究结果为蓝色浆果中复杂花青素谱的精细调控提供了新的见解,该调控涉及花青素和飞燕草素分支的调控。