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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (9): 3484-3493    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.12.040
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Functional differences between two homologous MYB transcription factors in regulating fruit color in octoploid strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa)

Lixia Sheng1, 2, Yuqi Zhang1, Xiaoke Yang1, Yujia Yin1, Jianqiang Yu1#

1 College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China

2 Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Nanjing 210000, China

 Highlights 
● Two highly homologous MYB transcription factors FaMYB44.1 and FaMYB44.3 have distinct roles in strawberries.  
● Both FaMYB44.1 and FaMYB44.3 are nuclear-localized transcription factors significantly induced by weak light.
● FaMYB44.1 significantly inhibits anthocyanin synthesis by transcriptionally repressing FaF3H, a key anthocyanin pathway gene, while FaMYB44.3 lacks this function.  
FaMYB44.1’s suppression of anthocyanin synthesis is consistent across strawberry varieties ‘BeniHoppe’ and ‘JianDe-Hong’, demonstrating its conserved regulatory role.
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摘要  

花青素是一种黄酮类色素,能够赋予水果和花朵鲜艳的颜色,在植物生理和人类健康中发挥着关键作用。MYB转录因子是花青素生物合成和积累的重要调控因子,但目前同源MYB转录因子在调控花青素含量上的功能差异尚不清晰。在草莓(Fragaria x ananassa)中,FaMYB44.1和FaMYB44.3是高度同源的MYB转录因子,定位于细胞核,被弱光条件明显诱导表达。然而,它们对果实花青素积累的影响不同。在‘BeniHoppe’和‘JianDe-Hong’两草莓品种中,FaMYB44.1通过转录抑制花青素积累所必需的FaF3H基因表达来抑制花青素合成。相比之下,FaMYB44.3不影响花青素含量变化。本研究全面解析了FaMYB44.1和FaMYB44.3在草莓果实花青素调控中的作用。通过阐明相关分子机制,本研究加深了我们对遗传和环境因素如何相互作用控制果实着色并提高其营养价值的理解。



Abstract  


Anthocyanins are the flavonoid pigments responsible for vibrant fruit and flower colors, and they also play key roles in both plant physiology and human health.  MYB transcription factors are crucial regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation, but the functional differences of homologous MYB transcription factors in regulating anthocyanin content are still unclear.  In strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa), FaMYB44.1 and FaMYB44.3 are highly homologous MYB transcription factors localized in the nucleus and can be significantly induced by weak light.  However, they differ in their effects on anthocyanin accumulation in the fruits.  FaMYB44.1 inhibits anthocyanin synthesis by transcriptionally suppressing FaF3H, which is essential for anthocyanin regulation, in the ‘BeniHoppe’ and ‘JianDe-Hong’ strawberry varieties.  In contrast, FaMYB44.3 does not affect anthocyanin levels.  This study provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of FaMYB44.1 and FaMYB44.3 in anthocyanin regulation in strawberry fruits.  By elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying their regulation, this study enhances our understanding of how the interactions between genetic and environmental factors control fruit pigmentation and enhance the nutritional value of the fruit.


Keywords:  strawberry       FaMYB44.1       FaMYB44.3       FaF3H       anthocyanin       transcriptional regulation  
Received: 09 April 2024   Online: 31 December 2024   Accepted: 11 December 2024
Fund: 

This investigation was sponsored by the Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory Grant, China (ZSBBL-KY2023-08), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20230572), and the Basic Sciences (Natural Sciences) Research Project in Universities of Jiangsu Province, China (23KJB210015).

About author:  #Correspondence Jianqiang Yu, E-mail: yjqdaniu@163.com

Cite this article: 

Lixia Sheng, Yuqi Zhang, Xiaoke Yang, Yujia Yin, Jianqiang Yu. 2025. Functional differences between two homologous MYB transcription factors in regulating fruit color in octoploid strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa). Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(9): 3484-3493.

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