JIANG Huibing, SUN Yunnan, LI Mei, DAI Weidong, SONG Weixi, TIAN Yiping, XIA Lifei, CHEN Linbo
In order to explore the regulatory factors and structural genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis in leaves of different developmental stages in C. sinensis cv. Zijuan, anthocyanin contents and compositions were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass, and the expression of synthesis-related genes were tested by RNA-sequencing and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling technology. HPLC-MS analysis showed that the anthocyanin content was consistent with color changes, increased firstly and then decreased with the leaf positions of Zijuan, with the highest anthocyanin content in the second leaf (9.87βmg·g-1) and the lowest content in mature leaf (0.11βmg·g-1). DGE determination results showed that the expression levels of PAL gene were relatively high in bud, second leaf and open surface leaf, but low in mature leaf. C4H, 4CL, CHS, CHI, F3H, F3'H, F3'5'H and ANS showed a pattern of declining expression as PAL in different leaf positions of Zijuan. FLS was firstly up-regulated in the second leaf and then declined in the mature leaf, which was consistent to the anthocyanin changes. DFR showed no clear expression pattern. GT and ACT exhibited similar expression patterns, which were up-regulated in the second, open surface and mature leaves. ANR and LAR showed similar expression patterns, which were high in bud, second and open surface leaves, but low in mature leaf. The gene expression of bHLH, MYB and WDR showed different expression patterns in different leaf positons of Zijuan. These results suggested that the temporal expression specificities of structural and regulatory genes may significantly affect the accumulation of anthocyanin in Zijuan.