Abstract
We describe here the genes relating to formation of white and pink color flowers in the cultivated genitans. Expression analyses of the flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes showed that one of the two white-colored cultivars was deficient in the gene for ANS and this was confirmed by complementation in transient expression assay by particle bombardment. The other one was considered to be derived from the mutation in the regulatory trans-acting factor(s) for flavonoid biosynthesis by the expression analysis of the petals with the spontaneous pigmentation under cold-stressed conditions. Namely, the accumulations of the CHS,F3H,F3'H and ANS transcripts were induced and those of CHI and F3'5'H were reduced. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the genomic F3'5'H gene in pink-colored cultivar revealed the pink mutation was caused by an insertion in the gene itself. Details on this insertion are now being studied.
