Abstract
The sepal of hydrangea is famous for its color changes under different cultivation conditions. All colors are developed from the same pigment, delphinidin 3-glucoside and the same co-pigments, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid, and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, with Al3+ ion. We have analyzed components in colored cells of hydrangea and deduced that the color variation depended on the delicately controlled balance of the co-pigments, Al3+, and the vacuolar pH. However, no cDNA information on hydrangea coloration been obtained. For an expressed sequence tag analysis, we prepared normalized cDNA libraries from the sepal of hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla. cv. Narumi blue).
