Pigment synthesis in maize aleurone from precursors fed to anthocyanin mutants.

Aleurone tissue of c2 Pr, C2 pr, or c2 pr genotypes can utilize either of two flavanones (naringenin, homoeriodictyol) or a flavanonol (dihydroquercetin) to synthesize anthocyanin. The anthocyanins formed have substitution patterns corresponding to those of the precursors, but c2 Pr tissue can hydroxylate the 4'-OH precursor at the 3' position. The results presented suggest that C2 acts before the flavanone step and that the hydroxylation gene (Pr) can act after C2.