Review
Version 1
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Dark Side of Anthocyanin Pigmentation
Version 1
: Received: 25 June 2024 / Approved: 26 June 2024 / Online: 26 June 2024 (06:39:11 CEST)
How to cite: Wolff, K.; Pucker, B. Dark Side of Anthocyanin Pigmentation. Preprints 2024, 2024061824. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202406.1824.v1 Wolff, K.; Pucker, B. Dark Side of Anthocyanin Pigmentation. Preprints 2024, 2024061824. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202406.1824.v1
Abstract
Dark pigmentation can be observed in various parts of the plant, ranging from foliage to petals to berries. The molecular basis of black pigmentation appears to vary among species, with anthocyanins playing a significant role, although specific anthocyanin types and their mechanisms differ. These findings suggest that the development of phenotypes is species-specific or varies between larger taxonomic groups; this is further supported by the polyphyletic nature of dark pigmentation. Additionally, several different regulatory mechanisms have been described for the occurrence of dark pigmentation. Firstly, the repression or knockout of the competing flavone biosynthesis has been shown to lead to darker pigmentation while another mechanism is based on the activation and upregulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in the presence of MYB transcription factors. Potential ecological functions of dark pigmentation were identified as the protection of the photosynthesis apparatus, camouflage against herbivores, and the attraction of pollinators. Promising industrial applications include microbial factories for the production of natural food colourants, induction of novel phenotypes for the ornamental plant industry and lastly the increase of anthocyanins within agriculturally relevant crops.
Keywords
pigmentation; secondary plant metabolites; specialized plant metabolites; flower colour; stress response; flavonoids; anthocyanins
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Biology and Biotechnology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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