Molecular analysis of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, and creation of new colored flower cultivars from fragrant cyclamen

Akita, Yusuke*; Kitamura, Satoshi; Hase, Yoshihiro; Narumi, Issey*; Ishizaka, Hiroshi*; Kondo, Emiko*; Kameari, Naoko*; Nakayama, Masayoshi*; Tanaka, Atsushi

In this study, using several flower-colored mutants and their parents, we analyzed flavonoid composition in flowers by HPLC, and isolated anthocyanin biosynthetic genes by degenerate PCR. We isolated several anthocyanin biosynthetic genes from C. graecum, C. purpurascens and fragrant cyclamen cultivars. Then, we analyzed their expression patterns between wild-type and flower-colored mutants. Based on their comparison, we selected candidates for anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and confirmed their enzymatic activities in vitro. Furthermore, we also demonstrated the effectiveness of PCR-based screening method in early growth stage of mutagenized cyclamen, using newly developed DNA markers.