This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: 21/1/168    most recent tpc.108.059329v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Espley, R. V. Articles by Allan, A. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Espley, R. V. Articles by Allan, A. C. Agricola Articles by Espley, R. V. Articles by Allan, A. C.

Multiple Repeats of a Promoter Segment Causes Transcription Factor Autoregulation in Red Apples^[W]

^a New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert Research Centre, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
^b School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
^c New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
^d New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Havelock North 4157, New Zealand
^e Plant Research International, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

¹ Address correspondence to aallan{at}hortresearch.co.nz.

Mutations in the genes encoding for either the biosynthetic or transcriptional regulation of the anthocyanin pathway have been linked to color phenotypes. Generally, this is a loss of function resulting in a reduction or a change in the distribution of anthocyanin. Here, we describe a rearrangement in the upstream regulatory region of the gene encoding an apple (Malus x domestica) anthocyanin-regulating transcription factor, MYB10. We show that this modification is responsible for increasing the level of anthocyanin throughout the plant to produce a striking phenotype that includes red foliage and red fruit flesh. This rearrangement is a series of multiple repeats, forming a minisatellite-like structure that comprises five direct tandem repeats of a 23-bp sequence. This MYB10 rearrangement is present in all the red foliage apple varieties and species tested but in none of the white fleshed varieties. Transient assays demonstrated that the 23-bp sequence motif is a target of the MYB10 protein itself, and the number of repeat units correlates with an increase in transactivation by MYB10 protein. We show that the repeat motif is capable of binding MYB10 protein in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Taken together, these results indicate that an allelic rearrangement in the promoter of MYB10 has generated an autoregulatory locus, and this autoregulation is sufficient to account for the increase in MYB10 transcript levels and subsequent ectopic accumulation of anthocyanins throughout the plant.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A.-R. Ballester, J. Molthoff, R. de Vos, B. t. L. Hekkert, D. Orzaez, J.-P. Fernandez-Moreno, P. Tripodi, S. Grandillo, C. Martin, J. Heldens, et al. Biochemical and Molecular Analysis of Pink Tomatoes: Deregulated Expression of the Gene Encoding Transcription Factor SlMYB12 Leads to Pink Tomato Fruit Color Plant Physiology, January 1, 2010; 152(1): 71 - 84. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Akagi, A. Ikegami, T. Tsujimoto, S. Kobayashi, A. Sato, A. Kono, and K. Yonemori DkMyb4 Is a Myb Transcription Factor Involved in Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis in Persimmon Fruit Plant Physiology, December 1, 2009; 151(4): 2028 - 2045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Louwers, R. Bader, M. Haring, R. van Driel, W. de Laat, and M. Stam Tissue- and Expression Level-Specific Chromatin Looping at Maize b1 Epialleles PLANT CELL, March 1, 2009; 21(3): 832 - 842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]