Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Development and Utilization of Small Fruits in Cold Regions, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China; National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Development and Utilization of Small Fruits in Cold Regions, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Food Res Int. 2024 Nov;196:115056. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115056. Epub 2024 Sep 7.
Anthocyanins are natural plant metabolites that are beneficial for human health. In order to study the fruit coloring mechanism mediated by anthocyanin biosynthesis in three currant varieties (white currant, red currant and black currant), we used a combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses. Our comprehensive examination revealed that anthocyanins play a pivotal role in regulating the red and purple hues of black currant and red currant fruits. Specifically, Delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside, Pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside, Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, Cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside-5-O-glucoside and Petunidin-3-O-glucoside emerged as key anthocyanins in black currant, while Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside (Keracyanin), Cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside[Cyanidin-3-O-(2″-O-xylosyl)glucoside], Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (Kuromanin) and Cyanidin-3-O-(2″-O-xylosyl)rutinoside were identified as crucial anthocyanins in red currant. Transcriptomic data showed that the upregulation of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanin synthase (ANS), and UDP-glucose-flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT) genes significantly promoted the purple coloration of black currant fruit, while increased expression of Chalcone synthase (CHS) and flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H) genes significantly intensified the red hue of red currant fruit. Furthermore, through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified 11 transcription factors, including 3 bHLH, 2 MYB, 3 bZIP and 3 WRKY genes, which may serve as key regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis. These findings provide a foundational understanding of the color dynamics in different currant varieties fruits throughout their developmental stages.
花色苷是有益于人类健康的天然植物代谢物。为了研究三种醋栗（白刺、红刺和黑刺）中花色苷生物合成介导的果实着色机制，我们采用了转录组学和代谢组学分析相结合的方法。我们的综合研究表明，花色苷在调节黑刺和红刺果实的红色和紫色方面起着关键作用。具体来说，矢车菊素-3-O-芸香糖苷、天竺葵素-3-O-芸香糖苷、矢车菊素-3-O-鼠李糖苷、矢车菊素-3,5-O-二葡萄糖苷、矢车菊素-3-O-芸香糖苷-5-O-葡萄糖苷和锦葵素-3-O-葡萄糖苷是黑刺果实中的关键花色苷，而矢车菊素-3-O-芸香糖苷（Keracyanin）、矢车菊素-3-O-桑布双糖苷[矢车菊素-3-O-（2”-O-木糖基）葡萄糖苷]、矢车菊素-3-O-葡萄糖苷（Kuromanin）和矢车菊素-3-O-（2”-O-木糖基）鼠李糖苷则是红刺果实中的关键花色苷。转录组数据表明，二氢黄酮醇 4-还原酶（DFR）、花色素苷合酶（ANS）和 UDP-葡萄糖-黄酮醇-3-O-葡萄糖基转移酶（UFGT）基因的上调显著促进了黑刺果实的紫色着色，而查尔酮合酶（CHS）和类黄酮 3'-羟化酶（F3'H）基因的表达增加则显著增强了红刺果实的红色色调。此外，通过加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA），我们鉴定出 11 个转录因子，包括 3 个 bHLH、2 个 MYB、3 个 bZIP 和 3 个 WRKY 基因，它们可能作为花色苷生物合成的关键调控因子。这些发现为不同醋栗品种果实发育过程中的颜色动态提供了基础理解。
