Flower color variegation in single petal flowering peach

• Published in: Acta horticulturae no. 929; pp. 287 - 292
• Main Authors: Uematsu, C, Uozumi, K, Makino, I, Arakawa, O, Katayama, H, Martin, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Horticultural Science 01-01-2012
• Subjects: color; corolla; enzymes; flowering; peaches; Prunus persica; Southern blotting; structural genes; trees
• ISSN: 0567-7572; 2406-6168
• DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.929.42

The mechanism underpinning flower colour variegation in single petal flowering peach (Prunus persica) was investigated. This tree bears three different types of flowers within one tree, i.e., deep pink coloured flowers (P1), flowers with pink sectors on a pale pink background (PPS1), and flowers with pink sectors on a white background (W1). In spite of the difference in flower colour appearance, all three petal types possess same pigment of cyanidin-3-gulcoside as the major pigment. The differences in petal colour could be attributed to differences in pigment content. Structural genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway showed no differences in structure at the level of homologous Southern hybridization. But expression of the genes encoding the biosynthetic enzymes CHI, F3H, DFR and ANS was lower in PPS1 and W1 petals compared to P1 petals.