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Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
Published on: June 17, 2012
PhAAT1, encoding an anthocyanin acyltransferase, is transcriptionally regulated by PhAN2 in petunia
Zeyu Chen1, Junwei Yuan1, Yi Yao1
1Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Anthocyanins widely exist in plants and they are important pigments for color of petals and fruits. They are produced through a multi-step pathway controlled by transcription factor complexes. The anthocyanin skeleton modification is the last reaction in the anthocyanin synthesis pathway, which improves the stability of anthocyanins. Acylation modification is an important modification of anthocyanins. However, the identification and function of anthocyanin acyltransferase genes and their expression regulation are rarely reported. In this study, we identified the petunia anthocyanin acyltransferase gene, PhAAT1. PhAAT1 is located in the cytoplasm and PhAAT1 silencing changed flower color and reduced the stability of anthocyanin. Metabolomics analysis showed that PhAAT1 silencing led to the reduction of p-coumaroylated and caffeoylated anthocyanins. In addition, PhAAT1 was positively regulated by the MYB transcription factor, PhAN2, which directly interacts with the promoter of PhAAT1.
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