The R2R3 MYB transcription factor PavMYB10.1 involves in anthocyanin biosynthesis and determines fruit skin colour in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.).
Sweet cherry is a diploid tree species and its fruit skin has rich colours from yellow to blush to dark red. The colour is closely related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level by transcription factors that regulate the expression of multiple structural genes. However, the genetic and molecular bases of how these genes ultimately determine the fruit skin colour traits remain poorly understood. Here, our genetic and molecular evidences identified the R2R3 MYB transcription factor PavMYB10.1 that is involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway and determines fruit skin colour in sweet cherry. Interestingly, we identified three functional alleles of the gene causally leading to the different colours at mature stage. Meanwhile, our experimental results of yeast two-hybrid assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that PavMYB10.1 might interact with proteins PavbHLH and PavWD40, and bind to the promoter regions of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes PavANS and PavUFGT; these findings provided to a certain extent mechanistic insight into the gene's functions. Additionally, genetic and molecular evidences confirmed that PavMYB10.1 is a reliable DNA molecular marker to select fruit skin colour in sweet cherry.
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Wanmei
W
Jin
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Hua
H
Wang
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Maofu
M
Li
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Jing
J
Wang
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Yuan
Y
Yang
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Beijing Engineering Research Center for Deciduous Fruit Trees, Beijing, China.
Xiaoming
X
Zhang
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Beijing Engineering Research Center for Deciduous Fruit Trees, Beijing, China.
Guohua
G
Yan
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Hong
H
Zhang
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Jiashen
J
Liu
Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China. kaichunzhang@126.com.|Beijing Engineering Research Center for Deciduous Fruit Trees, Beijing, China. kaichunzhang@126.com.
Kaichun
K
Zhang
D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000068220:Prunus avium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors

Prunus avium
; MYB regulation; alleles; colour traits; fruit skin colour; inheritance