A new petunia flower colour generated by transformation of a mutant with a maize gene.
Petunia hybrida is one of the classical subjects of investigation in plants in which the pathway of anthocyanin biosynthesis has been analysed genetically and biochemically. In petunia cyanidin- and delphinidin-derivatives, but no pelargonidin-derivatives are produced as pigments. This is due to the substrate specificity of the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase of petunia, which cannot reduce dihydrokaempferol. The petunia mutant RL01, which accumulates dihydrokaempferol, shows no flower pigmentation. RL01 served as a recipient for the transfer of the A1 gene of Zea mays encoding dihydroquercetin 4-reductase, which can reduce dihydrokaempferol and thereby provided the intermediate for pelargonidin biosynthesis. Transformation of RL01 with a vector p35A1, containing the A1-complementary DNA behind the 35S promotor leads to red flowers of the pelargonidin-type. Thus a new flower pigmentation pathway has been established in these plants.
Meyer
P
P
Max-Planck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Köln, FRG.
Heidmann
I
I
Forkmann
G
G
Saedler
H
H
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D044948:Flavonols; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D010858:Pigmentation; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D044948:Flavonols; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D011794:Quercetin; C003377:taxifolin; D010088:Oxidoreductases