Apple skin coloration by the transcriptional regulation of MYB alleles corresponding to environment

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K05517
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 39010:Science in plant genetics and breeding-related
• Research Institution: Shizuoka Professional University of Agriculture
• Principal Investigator: Moriguchi Takaya 静岡県立農林環境専門職大学, 生産環境経営学部, 教授 (80343945)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 齋藤 隆徳 千葉大学, 大学院園芸学研究院, 助教 (20753479) ; 林田 大志 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 助教 (90802017)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: リンゴ果皮色 / MYBアレル / 発現制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Paper-bagging of apple fruit improves red pigmentation. Our previous study showed that paper-bagging treatment stimulated de novo anthocyanin synthesis of yellow/green apple via epigenetic change of non-transcription MdMYB1 alleles. We aimed to clarify the biochemical aspect of red pigmentation by epigenetic change, DNA methylation. It was found that non-functional MYB alleles can be transcribed by paper-bagging treatment. Our results also suggested that paper-bagging treatment for at least 118 days including small paper treatment was sufficient for good red pigmentation in ‘Mutsu’, which was about 10 days earlier than the conventional cultivation (128 days). Except for ‘Mutsu’, other non-red type cultivars such as ‘Orin’, ‘Hirodai-Misaki’, ‘Indo’ and ‘Toki’ showed the red pigmentation by paper-bagging treatment, but ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Shinao-Gold’ tended to be difficult to induce red pigmentation by paper-bagging treatment.

Free Research Field

園芸

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本来は機能のないリンゴの着色にかかわるMYBアレルが、袋掛け処理でエピジェネティックな制御により機能を有するようになることが明らかになった。また、‘陸奥’以外の青い果皮のリンゴ品種でにおいても、袋掛けにより果皮を赤く着色させることが可能になることが明らかとなった。そのため、青リンゴ品種に対して、袋掛け処理をすることで、同じ品種であっても2種類の果皮色を有するリンゴを生産することが可能となり、付加価値をつけて消費者にPRすることも可能となると考えられる。