PlgMYBR1, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, plays as a negative regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in .

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Floral color plays a major role in pollinator specificity, and changes in color may result in pollinator shifts and pollinator-mediated speciation. In the purple flowers of , anthocyanins are the major pigment metabolites, whereas white flowers result due to the absence of anthocyanins. The lack of anthocyanins may be due to the inhibition of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. However, the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in is not fully understood. Hence, we identified R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PlgMYBR1, as a negative regulator for anthocyanin biosynthesis using sequence homology and tissue-specific expression pattern analyses. A heterologous co-expression assay suggested that PlgMYBR1 inhibited the function of AtPAP1 ( production of anthocyanin pigment 1), indicating that PlgMYBR1 plays as a repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis in . Our results provide a foundation for future efforts to understand the anthocyanin biosynthesis in and, thereby, to improve flower color through genetic engineering.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03490-6.