2012 年 29 巻 3 号 p. 215-221
We analyzed flower color mutants of cyclamen (Cyclamen spp.) and carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) obtained by ion-beam irradiation with an idea that a comprehensive analysis of anthocyanin and its biosynthetically related compounds, such as flavonols and cinnamic acid derivatives, is necessary in order to understand flower color expression mechanism. In this review, we discuss mechanisms for flower color mutation and deduce the following ideas: anthocyanin and its biosynthetically related compounds are cooperatively and compensatively regulated; multiple factors are often concerned in the expression of the same color phenotypes; and changes in chemical structure of a pigment induces new properties that generate novel phenotypes.