MYB transcription factors that colour our fruit

Anthocyanin concentration is a primary determinant of plant colour. Fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis is controlled by a distinct clade of R2R3 MYB transcription factors. In apple, three recent papers describe the discovery of MYB genes activating skin, flesh and foliage anthocyanic colour. These findings lead the way to new approaches in the breeding and biotechnological development of fruit with new colour patterns.

Identification of a cis-regulatory element by transient analysis of co-ordinately regulated genes

Background Transcription factors (TFs) co-ordinately regulate target genes that are dispersed throughout the genome. This co-ordinate regulation is achieved, in part, through the interaction of transcription factors with conserved cis-regulatory motifs that are in close proximity to the target genes. While much is known about the families of transcription factors that regulate gene expression in plants, there are few well characterised cis-regulatory motifs. In Arabidopsis, over-expression of the MYB transcription factor PAP1 (PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 1) leads to transgenic plants with elevated anthocyanin levels due to the co-ordinated up-regulation of genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. In addition to the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, there are a number of un-associated genes that also change in expression level. This may be a direct or indirect consequence of the over-expression of PAP1. Results Oligo array analysis of PAP1 over-expression Arabidopsis plants identified genes co-ordinately up-regulated in response to the elevated expression of this transcription factor. Transient assays on the promoter regions of 33 of these up-regulated genes identified eight promoter fragments that were transactivated by PAP1. Bioinformatic analysis on these promoters revealed a common cis-regulatory motif that we showed is required for PAP1 dependent transactivation. Conclusion Co-ordinated gene regulation by individual transcription factors is a complex collection of both direct and indirect effects. Transient transactivation assays provide a rapid method to identify direct target genes from indirect target genes. Bioinformatic analysis of the promoters of these direct target genes is able to locate motifs that are common to this sub-set of promoters, which is impossible to identify with the larger set of direct and indirect target genes. While this type of analysis does not prove a direct interaction between protein and DNA, it does provide a tool to characterise cis-regulatory sequences that are necessary for transcription activation in a complex list of co-ordinately regulated genes.

Multiple repeats of a promoter segment causes transcription factor autoregulation in red apples

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.

Environmental regulation of leaf colour in red 35S : PAP1 Arabidopsis thaliana

High-temperature, low-light (HTLL) treatment of 35S:PAP1 Arabidopsis thaliana over-expressing the PAP1 (Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1) gene results in reversible reduction of red colouration, suggesting the action of additional anthocyanin regulators. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and Affimetrix®-based microarrays were used to measure changes in anthocyanin, flavonoids, and gene expression in response to HTLL. HTLL treatment of control and 35S:PAP1 A. thaliana resulted in a reversible reduction in the concentrations of major anthocyanins despite ongoing over-expression of the PAP1 MYB transcription factor. Twenty-one anthocyanins including eight cis-coumaryl esters were identified by LCMS. The concentrations of nine anthocyanins were reduced and those of three were increased, consistent with a sequential process of anthocyanin degradation. Analysis of gene expression showed down-regulation of flavonol and anthocyanin biosynthesis and of transport-related genes within 24 h of HTLL treatment. No catabolic genes up-regulated by HTLL were found. Reductions in the concentrations of anthocyanins and down-regulation of the genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis were achieved by environmental manipulation, despite ongoing over-expression of PAP1. Quantitative PCR showed reduced expression of three genes (TT8, TTG1 and EGL3) of the PAP1 transcriptional complex, and increased expression of the potential transcriptional repressors AtMYB3, AtMYB6 and AtMYBL2 coincided with HTLL-induced down-regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. HTLL treatment offers a model system with which to explore anthocyanin catabolism and to discover novel genes involved in the environmental control of anthocyanins.

Failure to launch: The self-regulating Md -MYB10R6 gene from apple is active in flowers but not leaves of Petunia

Coloured foliage due to anthocyanin pigments (bronze/red/black) is an attractive trait that is often lacking in many bedding, ornamental and horticultural plants. Apples (Malus × domestica) containing an allelic variant of the anthocyanin regulator, Md-MYB10R6, are highly pigmented throughout the plant, due to autoregulation by MYB10 upon its own promoter. We investigated whether Md-MYB10R6 from apple is capable of functioning within the heterologous host Petunia hybrida to generate plants with novel pigmentation patterns. The Md-MYB10R6 transgene (MYB10–R6pro:MYB10:MYB10term) activated anthocyanin synthesis when transiently expressed in Antirrhinumroseadorsea petals and petunia leaf discs. Stable transgenic petunias containing Md-MYB10R6 lacked foliar pigmentation but had coloured flowers, complementing the an2 phenotype of ‘Mitchell’ petunia. The absence of foliar pigmentation was due to the failure of the Md-MYB10R6 gene to self-activate in vegetative tissues, suggesting that additional protein partners are required for Md-MYB10 to activate target genes in this heterologous system. In petunia flowers, where endogenous components including MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) proteins were present, expression of the Md-MYB10R6 promoter was initiated, allowing auto-regulation to occur and activating anthocyanin production. Md-MYB10 is capable of operating within the petunia MBW gene regulation network that controls the expression of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, AN1 (bHLH) and MYBx (R3-MYB repressor) in petals.

Binding of polyphenols to plant cell wall analogues - Part 1: Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are located within the vacuole of plant cells, and are released following cell rupture during eating or processing at which time they first come into contact with the plant cell wall. The extent of anthocyanin-cell wall interaction was investigated by monitoring the rate of anthocyanin depletion in the presence of pure cellulose or cellulose-pectin composites as cell wall models. It was found that anthocyanins interact with both cellulose and pectin over a two-stage process with initially (mins-hours) 13 similar to 18% of anthocyanins binding to cellulose or cellulose/pectincomposites. With prolonged exposure (days-weeks), a gradual increase in anthocyanin binding occurs, possibly due to anthocyanins stacking on top of a base layer. Binding of acylated and non-acylated anthocyanins followed a similar pattern with slightly more (5-10%) binding of the acylated forms. Composites with the highest pectin content had the greatest anthocyanin binding suggesting the existence of both ionic interactions (with pectin) and hydrophobic interactions (with cellulose) of anthocyanin with plant cell walls.

Comparative effects of thermal and high pressure processing on phenolic phytochemicals in different strawberry cultivars

Abstract It is widely considered that high pressure processing (HPP) results in better retention of micronutrients and phytochemicals compared to thermal pasteurization (TP), although some studies indicate that this may not be true in all cases. The aims of this study were (1) to objectively compare the effects of HPP under commercial processing conditions with thermal pasteurization (TP) on the stability of phenolic antioxidants in strawberries following processing and during storage and (2) to evaluate the influence of varietal differences and hence differences in biochemical composition of strawberries on the stability of phenolic antioxidants. Strawberry puree samples from cultivars Camarosa, Rubygem, and Festival were subjected to HPP (600 MPa/20 °C/5 min) and TP (88 °C/2 min). The activities of oxidative enzymes were evaluated before and after processing. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity (total phenolic content (TPC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and individual anthocyanins (by HPLC) were determined prior to and following processing and after three months of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Depending on the cultivar, HPP caused 15–38% and 20–33% inactivation of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, respectively, compared to almost complete inactivation of these enzymes by TP. Significant decreases (p < 0.05) in ORAC, FRAP, TPC and anthocyanin contents were observed during processing and storage of both HPP and TP samples. Anthocyanins were the most affected with only 19–25% retention after three months of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Slightly higher (p < 0.05) loss of TPC and antioxidant capacity were observed during storage of HPP samples compared to TP. Industrial Relevance: The results of the study demonstrated that both high pressure processing and thermal pasteurization result in high retention of phenolic phytochemicals in strawberry products. Under the conditions investigated, high pressure processing did not result in a better retention of phenolic phytochemicals compared to thermal pasteurization. In fact, a slightly higher loss of total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity were observed during refrigerated storage of HPP processed samples. Our results showed that, high pressure processing may not always be a better alternative to thermal processing for strawberry puree processing if the main objective is better retention of phenolic antioxidants. However, it should be noted that other quality attributes such as sensory properties, where distinct advantages of HPP are expected, were outside the scope of this study.

Urinary excretion of antioxidants in healthy humans following queen garnet plum juice ingestion: a new plum variety rich in antioxidant compounds

In recent years, there has been intense interest in the potential health benefits of dietary derived plant polyphenols and antioxidants. A new variety of Prunus salicina, Queen Garnet plum (QGP), was developed as a high anthocyanin, high antioxidant plum, in a Queensland Government breeding program. Following consumption of 400 mL QGP juice (QGPJ; 1,117 mg anthocyanins) by two healthy male subjects, QGP anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside) were excreted mainly as methylated and glucuronidated metabolites in urine (0.5% of the ingested dose within 24 h). Furthermore, QGPJ intake resulted in a threefold increase in hippuric acid excretion (potential biomarker for total polyphenols intake and metabolite), an increased urinary antioxidant capacity and a decreased malondialdehyde excretion (biomarker for oxidative stress) within 24 h as compared with the polyphenol-/antioxidant-free control. Results from this pilot study suggest that metabolites, and not the native QGP anthocyanins/polyphenols, are most likely the bioactive compounds in vivo.

Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindl.) and phytochemicals – breeding, horticultural practice, post-harvest storage, processing and bioactivity

Previous reviews of plum phytochemical content and health benefits have concentrated on the European plum, Prunus domestica L.. However, the potential bioactivity of red and dark red fleshed Japanese plum, Prunus salicina Lindl., so called blood plums, appears to warrant a significant increase in exposure as indicated in a recent review of the whole Prunus genus. Furthermore, Japanese plums are the predominate plum produced on an international basis. In this review the nutrient and phytochemical content, breeding programs, horticultural practice, post harvest treatment and processing as well as bioactivity (emphasizing in vivo studies) of Japanese plum are considered with a focus on the anthocyanin content that distinguishes the blood plums.

Phytochemicals in Japanese plums: impact of maturity and bioaccessibility

In recent years there has been increasing consumer interest in the potential health benefits of dietary derived phytochemicals such as polyphenols (including anthocyanins and flavonols) and carotenoids. A new variety of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.), named Queen Garnet (QG), was developed as a high anthocyanin plum in a Queensland (Australia) Government breeding program and may be attractive to consumers, but knowledge of other phytochemical content, and bioaccessibility, is currently limited. As a result, the present study examined (1) the impact of harvest date on anthocyanins, quercetin glycosides and carotenoids in Queen Garnet and another red fleshed commercial Japanese plum variety, Black Diamond (BD), (2) the content of bound phenolics in plum fruit and (3) the in vitro bioaccessibility and release of these phytochemicals as an initial measure to predict their potential bioavailability. For both QG and BD, the last harvest resulted in the highest anthocyanin content in peel, flesh and whole fruit, whereas no significant effects could be observed for quercetin glycosides, and total carotenoids decreased over time. The highest content of bound phenolics (30% of total amount) could be found in BD flesh. Between 53% and 59% of quercetin glycosides and anthocyanins were released from QG after the gastric and small intestinal digestion procedure, whereas the release of carotenoids ranged between 4–6%. A relative high release of anthocyanins and quercetin glycosides could be observed from QG which may result in a higher gastro-intestinal absorption rate of these compounds. However, follow-up studies (clinical trials) are warranted to investigate the in vivo bioavailability and subsequently biological activity of QG.

Secondary metabolites in Gerbera hybrida

Plants produce a diversity of secondary metabolites, i.e., low-molecular-weight compounds that have primarily ecological functions in plants. The flavonoid pathway is one of the most studied biosynthetic pathways in plants. In order to understand biosynthetic pathways fully, it is necessary to isolate and purify the enzymes of the pathways to study individual steps and to study the regulatory genes of the pathways. Chalcone synthases are key enzymes in the formation of several groups of flavonoids, including anthocyanins. In this study, a new chalcone synthase enzyme (GCHS4), which may be one of the main contributors to flower colour, was characterised from the ornamental plant Gerbera hybrida. In addition, four chalcone synthase-like genes and enzymes (GCHS17, GCHS17b, GCHS26 and GCHS26b) were studied. Spatial expression of the polyketide synthase gene family in gerbera was also analysed with quantitative RT-PCR from 12 tissues, including several developmental stages and flower types. A previously identified MYB transcription factor from gerbera, GMYB10, which regulates the anthocyanin pathway, was transferred to gerbera and the phenotypes were analysed. Total anthocyanin content and anthocyanidin profiles of control and transgenic samples were compared spectrophotometrically and with HPLC. The overexpression of GMYB10 alone was able to change anthocyanin pigmentation: cyanidin pigmentation was induced and pelargonidin pigmentation was increased. The gerbera 9K cDNA microarray was used to compare the gene expression profiles of transgenic tissues against the corresponding control tissues to reveal putative target genes for GMYB10. GMYB10 overexpression affected the expression of both early and late biosynthetic genes in anthocyanin-accumulating transgenic tissues, including the newly isolated gene GCHS4. Two new MYB domain factors, named as GMYB11 and GMYB12, were also upregulated. Gene transfer is not only a powerful tool for basic research, but also for plant breeding. However, crop improvement by genetic modification (GM) remains controversial, at least in Europe. Many of the concerns relating to both human health and to ecological impacts relate to changes in the secondary metabolites of GM crops. In the second part of this study, qualitative and quantitative differences in cytotoxicity and metabolic fingerprints between 225 genetically modified Gerbera hybrida lines and 42 non-GM Gerbera varieties were compared. There was no evidence for any major qualitative and quantitative changes between the GM lines and non-GM varieties. The developed cell viability assays offer also a model scheme for cell-based cytotoxicity screening of a large variety of GM plants in standardized conditions.

Berry phenolics: isolation, analysis, identification, and antioxidant properties

The main objectives in this thesis were to isolate and identify the phenolic compounds in wild (Sorbus aucuparia) and cultivated rowanberries, European cranberries (Vaccinium microcarpon), lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus), as well as to investigate the antioxidant activity of phenolics occurring in berries in food oxidation models. In addition, the storage stability of cloudberry ellagitannin isolate was studied. In wild and cultivated rowanberries, the main phenolic compounds were chlorogenic acids and neochlorogenic acids with increasing anthocyanin content depending on the crossing partners. The proanthocyanidin contents of cranberries and lingonberries were investigated, revealing that the lingonberry contained more rare A-type dimers than the European cranberry. The liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of cloudberry ellagitannins showed that trimeric lambertianin C and sanguiin H-10 were the main ellagitannins. The berries, rich in different types of phenolic compounds including hydroxycinnamic acids, proanthocyanidins, and ellagitannins, showed antioxidant activity toward lipid oxidation in liposome and emulsion oxidation models. All the different rowanberry cultivars prevented lipid oxidation in the same way, in spite of the differences in their phenolic composition. In terms of liposomes, rowanberries were slightly more effective antioxidants than cranberry and lingonberry phenolics. Greater differences were found when comparing proanthocyanidin fractions. Proanthocyanidin dimers and trimers of both cranberries and lingonberries were most potent in inhibiting lipid oxidation. Antioxidant activities and antiradical capacities were also studied with hydroxycinnamic acid glycosides. The sinapic acid derivatives of the hydroxycinnamic acid glycosides were the most effective at preventing lipid oxidation in emulsions and liposomes and scavenging radicals in DPPH assay. In liposomes and emulsions, the formation of the secondary oxidation product, hexanal, was inhibited more than that of the primary oxidation product, conjugated diene hydroperoxides, by hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. This indicates that they are principally chain-breaking antioxidants rather than metal chelators, although they possess chelating activity as well. The storage stability test of cloudberry ellagitannins was performed by storing ellagitannin isolate and ellagitannins encapsulated with maltodextrin at different relative vapor pressures. The storage stability was enhanced by the encapsulation when higher molecular weight maltodextrin was used. The best preservation was achieved when the capsules were stored at 0 or 33% relative vapor pressures. In addition, the antioxidant activities of encapsulated cloudberry extracts were followed during the storage period. Different storage conditions did not alter the antioxidant activity, even though changes in the ellagitannin contents were seen. The current results may be of use in improving the oxidative stability of food products by using berries as natural antioxidants.

圆叶牵牛花青素代谢途径的基因型变异与花色变异的进化生物学研究

基因型变异和表型变异的相互关系问题是尚未解决的生物学基本问题之一，而解决这个问题的一个有效方法是研究基因组中功能相关基因的分子进化和表型效应的相互关系。在本研究中我们利用圆叶牵牛花青素代谢途径（该途径合成了与花色形成有关的色素）来研究表型变异和基因型变异的进化关系，希望探讨两个问题：1、代谢途径上基因多态性在不同位点的表现程度如何? 2、在中国种群中传粉者对花色有无选择? 在对第一个问题的研究中调查了中国圆叶牵牛花青素代谢途径部分结构基因和调控基因的多态性。所研究的结构基因为途径的第一个关键酶基因CHS-D基因和较下游的ANS基因、UF3GT基因，以及调控基因W位点。其次是在温室中进行人工自交以获得所研究基因的纯合体。在对第二个问题的研究中，首先调查了野外圆叶牵牛不同花色的传粉者和传粉几率，其次是分析有色花个体与白花个体中的遗传变异程度。目前的研究结果表明CHS-D位点有3个等位基因，其中在中国的西南部地区发现了1个新的、在已报道的7个等位基因以外的等位基因;较下游的结构酶基因ANS位点存在有5个等位基因（在中国新发现3个等位基因）;UF3GT位点目前只发现有2个已报道的等位基因。在中国的圆叶牵牛中，新发现调控基因W位点上一个有功能的等位基因Ipmyb2，它与已报道的等位基因Ipmyb1的差异主要存在于内含子部分，而与发生缺失（1个6bp的缺失和1个19bp的缺失）后无功能的等位基因ipmyb2（该基因造成白花）存在外显子部分的8个碱基的差异。野外传粉观察结果表明，白花个体与有色花个体受到传粉者介导的选择，传粉者偏爱有色花而歧视白花，而且与在美洲不同，在中国圆叶牵牛的主要授粉者为蛾类而不是蜂类，从野外观察统计的结果看蛾类的传粉效率要高于蜂类。以上结果表明：1）花青素代谢途径上酶基因的位点均有一定程度的多态，其中尤以ANS为最高;调控基因ipmyb2的核苷酸缺失造成该基因停止功能，使其纯合子的个体开白色花。2）授粉者所介导的花色表型选择确实在中国种群中发生，有可能进一步增加花色代谢途径上基因位点的遗传变异。

影响圆叶牵牛(Ipomoea purpurea)花中花青素含量的因子研究

表型是基因型和环境共同作用的结果，环境对物种进化起到了至关重要的作用。虽然人们已经知道环境因子会影响植物花青素的最终含量，但这样的影响是如何在自然环境中进行的仍是未知。较之以前泛泛研究经济作物或模式植物的花青素总含量与人工环境变量的关系的工作，本文探讨环境变化对半野生的圆叶牵牛自然状态下不同基因型植株、不同花青素的影响。 65株取自全国各地包括3种颜色8种基因型的圆叶牵牛被分别种到了温室和室外，温室32株，室外35株，用高效液相 (HPLC) 的方法检测盛花期 (07年9月-10月) 圆叶牵牛花中花青素的含量，同时每天分早中晚采集3次温室和室外的环境数据-照度、紫外线强度、温度、湿度。记录每朵花着生高度、朝向、当天植株开花数、植株根茎、植株生长天数等个体信息。 通过保留时间、紫外-可见吸收光谱数据、质谱数据以及参考文献确定了圆叶牵牛花瓣中主要的5种花青素，包括三个矢车菊素 (CY) 和两个天竺葵素 (PG)，根据它们所含的咖啡酸和葡萄糖基的个数将它们简写成CY3C4G、CY2C4G、CY3C5G、PG2C4G、PG3C5G。CY2C4G和CY3C4G仅在蓝紫色花中大量存在，PG2C4G及PG3C5G仅在粉色花中大量存在，CY3C5G在两种颜色的圆叶牵牛花中均有存在。 温室和室外的四个环境因子有显著差异，平均照度室外为温室的3.06倍，平均紫外线强度为温室的5.39倍。Z 检验表明，蓝紫色花中的CY3C5G在温室内外没有显著差异 (P=0.3070)，而温室内的CY2C4G (P<0.0001) 和CY3C4G (P<0.0001) 含量明显的低于室外，粉花中CY3C5G和PG3C5G在温室 (P=0.4533) 和室外 (P=0.9577) 没有显著差异，PG2C4G在温室内含量明显 (P=0.0003) 低于室外。 通过Kruskal- Wallis 检验,不同基因型植株各种花青素的相对含量显著不同 (P<0.0001)。室外不同基因型植株的花青素绝对含量显著不同 (P<0.0001)。温室不同基因型植株中，CY2C4G (P=0.0224) 和CY3C4G (P=0.0017) 的绝对含量显著不同，显著性比室外的低些。CY3C5G不同基因型的绝对含量有差异，但是差异不显著 (P=0.0633)。基因型对植株中各个花青素相对含量的影响是尤其显著的，基因型对于花青素绝对含量的影响，可能是基因型直接作用和不同基因型对环境差异的不同响应两方面造成的，所以在环境变异稍大的条件下，基因型更加能显示出它对花青素的含量的影响。 植株的生长天数与粉色圆叶牵牛的PG2C4G、PG3C5G以及蓝紫色圆叶牵牛的三个花青素呈一定的正相关，当天开花数对粉色花的PG3C5G以及蓝紫色花的三个花青素呈负相关，花的朝向 (北-东-南-西-北 对应数值为0-90-180-90-0)，对粉花的PG2C4G以及蓝紫花的CY2C4G和CY3C4G 呈正相关，植株大小对粉花的PG2C4G、PG3C5G以及蓝紫花的CY3C5G呈负相关。花所着生的高度对两种颜色花的影响是不同的，与蓝紫花的三个花色素呈负相关，对于粉色的PG2C4G、CY3C5G呈正相关。

花青素代谢途径上结构基因和调控基因的多态性分析

在生物个体中，很多基因位点都存在多个等位基因。这些等位基因存在的生物学意义是什么？是中性突变的结果还是进化选择的结果？本文以花青素代谢途径为平台，以圆叶牵牛为研究对象，试图探讨相关的生物学问题。具体问题是：（1）等位基因的多样性在调控基因和结构基因中是否有所不同？（2）两个等位基因的启动区会有什么不同？ 我们首先在来自新圭亚那、美国和中国的17个圆叶牵牛个体中调查了花青素代谢途径上第一个关键酶基因CHS-D基因和下游的最后一个基因UF3GT，以及三类调控基因MYB1、bHLH1、WDR1的多态性。目前的研究结果表明，CHS-D位点有三个等位基因，其中在中国的西南部地区发现了一个新的等位基因CHS-D-SINO1。下游的结构酶基因UF3GT位点存在3个等位基因，其中的UF3GT-c是我们在新圭亚那的三个个体中所新发现的。调控基因中，MYB1位点存在两个等位基因，其中一个是新发现的。bHLH2位点存在3个等位基因，均为新发现的。WDR1位点也存在三个等位基因，其中两个都是在本实验中新得到的。调控基因和结构基因位点的等位基因数量没有明显差别。 为了进一步了解等位基因的差异，我通过inverse PCR的方法得到了花青素代谢途径上F3H基因的两个等位基因F3H1和F3H3的启动区序列。通过分析发现，F3H1和F3H3的编码区序列相似性达到99%，而启动区序列相似性为79.7%，总体相似性87.1%。可见，这两个等位基因的差异主要集中在启动区。 F3H1启动区包含了16个bHLH蛋白的识别位点；而F3H3启动区包含9个bHLH蛋白的识别位点。其中，两者完全一样的有7处。除bHLH蛋白以外，F3H1和F3H3都分别含有一个MYB蛋白的识别位点，但两者所处的位置不同。这些数据表明这两个等位基因在功能上应该差别不大，但在应答调控基因对其的调节作用上可能有所差别。