title: The oil palm VIRESCENS gene controls fruit colour and encodes a R2R3-MYB.
abstract: Oil palm, a plantation crop of major economic importance in Southeast Asia, is the predominant source of edible oil worldwide. We report the identification of the virescens (VIR) gene, which controls fruit exocarp colour and is an indicator of ripeness. VIR is a R2R3-MYB transcription factor with homology to Lilium LhMYB12 and similarity to Arabidopsis production of anthocyanin pigment1 (PAP1). We identify five independent mutant alleles of VIR in over 400 accessions from sub-Saharan Africa that account for the dominant-negative virescens phenotype. Each mutation results in premature termination of the carboxy-terminal domain of VIR, resembling McClintock's C1-I allele in maize. The abundance of alleles likely reflects cultural practices, by which fruits were venerated for magical and medicinal properties. The identification of VIR will allow selection of the trait at the seed or early-nursery stage, 3-6 years before fruits are produced, greatly advancing introgression into elite breeding material.
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Rajinder
authors: R
authors: Singh
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Eng-Ti Leslie
authors: ET
authors: Low
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Leslie Cheng-Li
authors: LC
authors: Ooi
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Meilina
authors: M
authors: Ong-Abdullah
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Rajanaidu
authors: R
authors: Nookiah
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Ngoot-Chin
authors: NC
authors: Ting
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Marhalil
authors: M
authors: Marjuni
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Pek-Lan
authors: PL
authors: Chan
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Maizura
authors: M
authors: Ithnin
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Mohd Arif Abdul
authors: MA
authors: Manaf
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Jayanthi
authors: J
authors: Nagappan
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Kuang-Lim
authors: KL
authors: Chan
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Rozana
authors: R
authors: Rosli
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Mohd Amin
authors: MA
authors: Halim
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Norazah
authors: N
authors: Azizi
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Muhammad A
authors: MA
authors: Budiman
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Nathan
authors: N
authors: Lakey
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Blaire
authors: B
authors: Bacher
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Van Brunt
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Chunyan
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Hogan
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Dong
authors: D
authors: He
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Jill D
authors: JD
authors: MacDonald
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Steven W
authors: SW
authors: Smith
authors: Orion Genomics, 4041 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA.
authors: Jared M
authors: JM
authors: Ordway
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA.
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Martienssen
authors: Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, 6, Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Ravigadevi
authors: R
authors: Sambanthamurthi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053827:Nandiniidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C000612141:REG3A protein, human