Functional diversification of duplicated chalcone synthase genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis of Gerbera hybrida. Issue 4 (25th November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Xianbao; Bashandy, Hany; Ainasoja, Miia; Kontturi, Juha; Pietiäinen, Milla; Laitinen, Roosa A. E.; Albert, Victor A.; Valkonen, Jari P. T.; Elomaa, Paula; Teeri, Teemu H.
• Is Part Of: New phytologist. Volume 201:Issue 4(2014)
• Page Start: 1469
• Page End: 1483
• Publication Date: 2013-11-25
• Subjects: Botany -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.12610
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-646X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="nph12610-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <list id="nph12610-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>Chalcone synthase (CHS) is the key enzyme in the first committed step of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway and catalyzes the stepwise condensation of 4‐coumaroyl‐CoA and malonyl‐CoA to naringenin chalcone. In plants, CHS is often encoded by a small family of genes that are temporally and spatially regulated. Our earlier studies have shown that <italic>GCHS4</italic> is highly activated by ectopic expression of an MYB‐type regulator <italic>GMYB10</italic> in gerbera (<italic>Gerbera hybrida</italic>).</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> The tissue‐ and development‐specific expression patterns of three gerbera CHS genes were examined. Virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to knock down <italic>GCHS1</italic> and <italic>GCHS4</italic> separately in gerbera inflorescences.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Our data show that <italic>GCHS4</italic> is the only CHS encoding gene that is expressed in the cyanidin‐pigmented vegetative tissues of gerbera cv Terraregina. <italic>GCHS3</italic> expression is pronounced in the pappus bristles of the flowers. Expression of both <italic>GCHS1</italic> and <italic>GCHS4</italic> is high in the epidermal cells of gerbera petals, but only GCHS1 is contributing to flavonoid biosynthesis.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> Gerbera contains a family of three CHS encoding genes showing different spatial and temporal regulation. <italic>GCHS4</italic> expression in gerbera petals is regulated post‐transcriptionally, at the level of either translation elongation or protein stability.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>