CONTROL OF ANTHOCYANIN SYNTHESIS IN PETUNIA HYBRIDA BY MULTIPLE ALLELIC SERIES OF THE GENES An1 AND An2

Anton G. M. Gerats 1, Eliane Farcy 2, Marco Wallroth 1, Steven P. C. Groot 1, and André Schram 1

1 Biosynthesis of Flavonoids Section, Departments of Genetics and Plant Physiology, Kruislaan 318, 1098 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Station d'Amélioration des Plantes, Laboratoire de Mutagenèse, Centre de Recherches de Dijon, I.N.R.A., B.V. 1540, 21034 Dijon Cedex, France

A mutable allele of the An1 locus in Petunia hybrida has given rise to a multiple series of stable derivative alleles. Anthocyanin concentration in mature flowers of these mutants (an1+/ p/an1) decreases from the wild-type red to the recessive white in a continuous series. Anthocyanin composition changes regularly: the ratio of peonidin to cyanidin is 3.5 for an an1+/+/ an1 and 1.2 for an an1+/p5/an1 mutant. Analysis of anthocyanins during flower development indicates that these differences in composition are due to the specific state of the An1 locus and not to anthocyanin concentration. Anthocyanin concentration in flowers of the allelic series for An1 correlates with the activity of the enzymes UDP-glucose: flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferase and SAM: anthocyanin-3'- O-methyltransferase. The same correlations were found for members of a comparable allelic series at the An2 locus. The possibility that the correlation between the enzyme activities is due to the occurrence of a multienzyme complex is discussed.

Submitted on February 28, 1983
Accepted on October 20, 1983