The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium
Vaccinium berries are regarded as “superfoods” owing to their high concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoid metabolites that provide pigmentation and positively affect human health. Anthocyanin localization differs between the fruit of cultivated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) and wild bilberry...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.910155/full |
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| author | Declan J. Lafferty Declan J. Lafferty Richard V. Espley Cecilia H. Deng Andrew P. Dare Catrin S. Günther Laura Jaakola Laura Jaakola Katja Karppinen Murray R. Boase Lei Wang Henry Luo Andrew C. Allan Andrew C. Allan Nick W. Albert |
| author_facet | Declan J. Lafferty Declan J. Lafferty Richard V. Espley Cecilia H. Deng Andrew P. Dare Catrin S. Günther Laura Jaakola Laura Jaakola Katja Karppinen Murray R. Boase Lei Wang Henry Luo Andrew C. Allan Andrew C. Allan Nick W. Albert |
| author_sort | Declan J. Lafferty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vaccinium berries are regarded as “superfoods” owing to their high concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoid metabolites that provide pigmentation and positively affect human health. Anthocyanin localization differs between the fruit of cultivated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) and wild bilberry (V. myrtillus), with the latter having deep red flesh coloration. Analysis of comparative transcriptomics across a developmental series of blueberry and bilberry fruit skin and flesh identified candidate anthocyanin regulators responsible for this distinction. This included multiple activator and repressor transcription factors (TFs) that correlated strongly with anthocyanin production and had minimal expression in blueberry (non-pigmented) flesh. R2R3 MYB TFs appeared key to the presence and absence of anthocyanin-based pigmentation; MYBA1 and MYBPA1.1 co-activated the pathway while MYBC2.1 repressed it. Transient overexpression of MYBA1 in Nicotiana benthamiana strongly induced anthocyanins, but this was substantially reduced when co-infiltrated with MYBC2.1. Co-infiltration of MYBC2.1 with MYBA1 also reduced activation of DFR and UFGT, key anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, in promoter activation studies. We demonstrated that these TFs operate within a regulatory hierarchy where MYBA1 activated the promoters of MYBC2.1 and bHLH2. Stable overexpression of VcMYBA1 in blueberry elevated anthocyanin content in transgenic plants, indicating that MYBA1 is sufficient to upregulate the TF module and activate the pathway. Our findings identify TF activators and repressors that are hierarchically regulated by SG6 MYBA1, and fine-tune anthocyanin production in Vaccinium. The lack of this TF module in blueberry flesh results in an absence of anthocyanins. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:43:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d034883f3db04a52a72dfd67a9961d00 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:43:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d034883f3db04a52a72dfd67a9961d002022-12-22T03:32:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2022-06-011310.3389/fpls.2022.910155910155The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in VacciniumDeclan J. Lafferty0Declan J. Lafferty1Richard V. Espley2Cecilia H. Deng3Andrew P. Dare4Catrin S. Günther5Laura Jaakola6Laura Jaakola7Katja Karppinen8Murray R. Boase9Lei Wang10Henry Luo11Andrew C. Allan12Andrew C. Allan13Nick W. Albert14The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New ZealandDepartment of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New ZealandSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New ZealandThe New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New ZealandVaccinium berries are regarded as “superfoods” owing to their high concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonoid metabolites that provide pigmentation and positively affect human health. Anthocyanin localization differs between the fruit of cultivated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) and wild bilberry (V. myrtillus), with the latter having deep red flesh coloration. Analysis of comparative transcriptomics across a developmental series of blueberry and bilberry fruit skin and flesh identified candidate anthocyanin regulators responsible for this distinction. This included multiple activator and repressor transcription factors (TFs) that correlated strongly with anthocyanin production and had minimal expression in blueberry (non-pigmented) flesh. R2R3 MYB TFs appeared key to the presence and absence of anthocyanin-based pigmentation; MYBA1 and MYBPA1.1 co-activated the pathway while MYBC2.1 repressed it. Transient overexpression of MYBA1 in Nicotiana benthamiana strongly induced anthocyanins, but this was substantially reduced when co-infiltrated with MYBC2.1. Co-infiltration of MYBC2.1 with MYBA1 also reduced activation of DFR and UFGT, key anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, in promoter activation studies. We demonstrated that these TFs operate within a regulatory hierarchy where MYBA1 activated the promoters of MYBC2.1 and bHLH2. Stable overexpression of VcMYBA1 in blueberry elevated anthocyanin content in transgenic plants, indicating that MYBA1 is sufficient to upregulate the TF module and activate the pathway. Our findings identify TF activators and repressors that are hierarchically regulated by SG6 MYBA1, and fine-tune anthocyanin production in Vaccinium. The lack of this TF module in blueberry flesh results in an absence of anthocyanins.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.910155/fullanthocyaninproanthocyanidinMYBtranscription factorflavonoidberry |
| spellingShingle | Declan J. Lafferty Declan J. Lafferty Richard V. Espley Cecilia H. Deng Andrew P. Dare Catrin S. Günther Laura Jaakola Laura Jaakola Katja Karppinen Murray R. Boase Lei Wang Henry Luo Andrew C. Allan Andrew C. Allan Nick W. Albert The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium Frontiers in Plant Science anthocyanin proanthocyanidin MYB transcription factor flavonoid berry |
| title | The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium |
| title_full | The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium |
| title_fullStr | The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium |
| title_short | The Coordinated Action of MYB Activators and Repressors Controls Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Vaccinium |
| title_sort | coordinated action of myb activators and repressors controls proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin biosynthesis in vaccinium |
| topic | anthocyanin proanthocyanidin MYB transcription factor flavonoid berry |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.910155/full |
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