Expression pattern analysis of three R2R3-MYB transcription factors for the production of anthocyanin in different vegetative stages of Arabidopsis leaves

Anthocyanin is a type of flavonoid that appears purple in plants. PAP1, PAP2, and MYB113 are the three major R2R3-MYB transcription factors that regulate flavonoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we found that the three MYB genes regulate anthocyanin accumulation in different leaf stages. Under limited nutrient conditions, PAP1 and PAP2 genes were highly induced in juvenile leaves. Conversely, MYB113 was expressed mainly in adult leaves. In addition, we investigated the role of trans-acting siRNA4 (TAS4) in the post-transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin expression in Arabidopsis leaves. In plant growth, the inhibition of PAP1 and PAP2 gene expression by TAS4 was observed only in juvenile leaves, and MYB113 inhibition was observed in adult leaves. In conclusion, we found that transcription and transcript repression of the three MYB genes is differentially regulated by TAS4 in leaf developmental stages. Our results improve the understanding of the regulation of plant anthocyanin production under stress conditions.

Automated summary

The study revealed that PAP1, PAP2, and MYB113 differentially regulate anthocyanin accumulation in different leaf stages, with TAS4 playing a crucial role in post-transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin expression in Arabidopsis leaves.