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Expression and mapping of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in carrot

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Abstract

Anthocyanin gene expression has been extensively studied in leaves, fruits and flowers of numerous plants. Little, however, is known about anthocyanin accumulation in roots of carrots or other species. We quantified expression of six anthocyanin biosynthetic genes [phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL3), chalcone synthase (CHS1), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR1), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX2), and UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT)] in three carrot inbreds with contrasting root color: solid purple (phloem and xylem); purple outer phloem/orange xylem; and orange phloem and xylem. Transcripts for five of these genes (CHS1, DFR1, F3H, LDOX2, PAL3) accumulated at high levels in solid purple carrots, less in purple-orange carrot, and low or no transcript in orange carrots. Gene expression coincided with anthocyanin accumulation. In contrast, UFGT expression was comparable in purple and orange carrots and relatively unchanged during root development. In addition, five anthocyanin biosynthesis genes [FLS1 (flavonol synthase), F3H, LDOX2, PAL3, and UFGT] and three anthocyanin transcription factors (DcEFR1, DcMYB3 and DcMYB5) were mapped in a population segregating for the P 1 locus that conditions purple root color. P 1 mapped to chromosome 3 and of the eight anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, only F3H and FLS1 were linked to P 1. The gene expression and mapping data suggest a coordinated regulatory control of anthocyanin expression in carrot root and establish a framework for studying the anthocyanin pathway in carrots, and they also suggest that none of the genes evaluated is a candidate for P 1.

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Acknowledgments

This article includes parts of the doctoral thesis of the first author. The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Initiative for Future Agriculture Food Systems Grant number 2000-4258 from the USDA Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service, the USDA, ARS; the University of Wisconsin-Madison; the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board; and vegetable seed companies for their support of this research. The authors are also grateful for the proficient technical assistance of Drs. Megan Bowman and Douglas Senalik.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Mehtap Yildiz, Pablo F. Cavagnaro, Massimo Iorizzo & Philipp W. Simon

  2. Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080, Van, Turkey

    Mehtap Yildiz

  3. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    David K. Willis

  4. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Vegetable Crops Unit, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    David K. Willis & Philipp W. Simon

  5. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Ex Ruta 40 km 96, La Consulta CC 8, 5567, Mendoza, Argentina

    Pablo F. Cavagnaro

  6. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Pablo F. Cavagnaro

  7. Department of Horticulture Production and Marketing, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Technology, Lefke European University, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey

    Kazim Abak

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  1. Mehtap Yildiz
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  2. David K. Willis
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  3. Pablo F. Cavagnaro
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  4. Massimo Iorizzo
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  5. Kazim Abak
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  6. Philipp W. Simon
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Correspondence to Philipp W. Simon.

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Communicated by I. Paran.

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Yildiz, M., Willis, D.K., Cavagnaro, P.F. et al. Expression and mapping of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in carrot. Theor Appl Genet 126, 1689–1702 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-013-2084-y

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