Abstract
In Perilla frutescens, anthocyanin biosynthetic genes are expressed specifically in red form. The expressions of those genes are induced coordinately by light illumination. So far, two bHLH (MYC-RP and MYC-F3G1), two MYB (MYB-P1 and MYB-C05) and one WD40 (PFWD) factors were isolated and confirmed to be involved in anthocyanin production in red form, however determinant factor of anthocyanin production is still unknown.
The two cDNAs encoding bHLH factors (MYC-RS1 and MYC-RS2) were obtained from red perilla by using PCR-select cDNA subtraction. Between deduced amino acid sequences of MYC-RS1 and MYC-RS2, 7 out of 500 amino acid residues were found to be substituted. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MYC-RS1 and MYC-RS2 were classified into group IIId, while MYC-RP and MYC-F3G1 were classified into group IIIf of bHLH factors. We introduced MYC-RS into A. thaliana and obtained over-expressing mutants. Metabolites and transcripts in those over-expressing mutants will be analyzed.
