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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
Published on: June 17, 2012
Hydrangea macrophylla R2R3-MYB transcription factor HmMYB6 functions as a negative regulator of anthocyanin
Huijun Zhang1, Xuan Li1, Chenyu Ma1
1Hunan Mid-Subtropical Quality Plant Breeding and Utilization Engineering Technology Research Center, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
Abstract:
Anthocyanins are the principal pigments responsible for coloration in ornamental plants. Hydrangea macrophylla is an economically important species widely cultivated in the global floriculture industry. This study functionally characterized HmMYB6, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor isolated from the cultivar 'Blue Mama'. Phylogenetic and sequence alignment analyses revealed that HmMYB6 belongs to the FaMYB1-like repressor clade within the R2R3-MYB family. Expression profiling demonstrated that HmMYB6 is predominantly expressed in sterile flowers and pedicels and that its transcript abundance increases during flower development. Heterologous overexpression of HmMYB6 in tobacco resulted in pronounced flower bleaching and significantly reduced expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. Dual-luciferase reporter assays further confirmed that HmMYB6 represses the promoter activities of HmCHI and HmCHS. Altogether, these findings establish HmMYB6 as a transcriptional repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis in hydrangea.
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