The Transcription Factor MdERF78 Is Involved in ALA-Induced Anthocyanin Accumulation in Apples

Overview

Journal Front Plant Sci

Date 2022 Jun 20

PMID 35720608

Authors

Xiang Fang

Liuzi Zhang

Liangju Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

As a friendly plant growth regulator to the environment, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been widely used in plant production, such as fruit coloration, stress resistance, and so on. Previous studies have identified some genes that have a function in the anthocyanin accumulation induced by ALA. However, the regulatory mechanism has not been well revealed. In the current study, we proposed that an ALA-responsive transcription factor, MdERF78, regulated anthocyanin accumulation. , overexpressed in apple peels or calli, resulted in a significant increase of anthocyanins, while interference had an opposite trend. Furthermore, the anthocyanin accumulation induced by overexpression was enhanced by exogenous ALA treatment, suggesting that MdERF78 was involved in the ALA-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter assays revealed that MdERF78 bound to the promoters of and directly and activated their expressions. Additionally, MdERF78 interacted with MdMYB1 and enhanced the transcriptional activity of MdMYB1 to its target gene promoters. Based on these, it can be concluded that MdERF78 has a positive function in ALA-induced anthocyanin accumulation via the MdERF78-/ and MdERF78-MdMYB1- regulatory network. These findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of ALA-promoted anthocyanin accumulation.

Citing Articles

Integrated Multiomics Analysis Sheds Light on the Mechanisms of Color and Fragrance Biosynthesis in Wintersweet Flowers.

Fu X, Wang H, Tao X, Liu Y, Chen L, Yang N Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(4).

PMID: 40004148 PMC: 11855453. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26041684.

5-Aminolevulinic acid activates the MdWRKY71-MdMADS1 module to enhance anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple.

Zhang L, Tao H, Zhang J, An Y, Wang L Mol Hortic. 2025; 5(1):10.

PMID: 39894860 PMC: 11789342. DOI: 10.1186/s43897-024-00127-x.

ALA Promotes Sucrose Accumulation in Early Peach Fruit by Regulating SPS Activity.

Chen Z, Guo X, Du J, Yu M Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2024; 46(8):7944-7954.

PMID: 39194686 PMC: 11352516. DOI: 10.3390/cimb46080469.

FaMYB5 Interacts with FaBBX24 to Regulate Anthocyanin and Proanthocyanidin Biosynthesis in Strawberry ( × ).

Zhang L, Wang Y, Yue M, Jiang L, Zhang N, Luo Y Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(15).

PMID: 37569565 PMC: 10418308. DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512185.

ALA reverses ABA-induced stomatal closure by modulating PP2AC and SnRK2.6 activity in apple leaves.

Chen Z, An Y, Wang L Hortic Res. 2023; 10(6):uhad067.

PMID: 37287446 PMC: 10243991. DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad067.

References

An J, Zhang X, Bi S, You C, Wang X, Hao Y . The ERF transcription factor MdERF38 promotes drought stress-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple. Plant J. 2019; 101(3):573-589. DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14555. View

Hotta Y, Tanaka T, Takaoka H, Takeuchi Y, Konnai M . New Physiological Effects of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in Plants: The Increase of Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll Content, and Plant Growth. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2016; 61(12):2025-8. DOI: 10.1271/bbb.61.2025. View

An X, Tian Y, Chen K, Wang X, Hao Y . The apple WD40 protein MdTTG1 interacts with bHLH but not MYB proteins to regulate anthocyanin accumulation. J Plant Physiol. 2012; 169(7):710-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2012.01.015. View

Xu H, Zou Q, Yang G, Jiang S, Fang H, Wang Y . MdMYB6 regulates anthocyanin formation in apple both through direct inhibition of the biosynthesis pathway and through substrate removal. Hortic Res. 2020; 7:72. PMC: 7195469. DOI: 10.1038/s41438-020-0294-4. View

Mizoi J, Shinozaki K, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K . AP2/ERF family transcription factors in plant abiotic stress responses. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011; 1819(2):86-96. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2011.08.004. View

Xie C, Mao X, Huang J, Ding Y, Wu J, Dong S . KOBAS 2.0: a web server for annotation and identification of enriched pathways and diseases. Nucleic Acids Res. 2011; 39(Web Server issue):W316-22. PMC: 3125809. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr483. View

Zhang S, Chen Y, Zhao L, Li C, Yu J, Li T . A novel NAC transcription factor, MdNAC42, regulates anthocyanin accumulation in red-fleshed apple by interacting with MdMYB10. Tree Physiol. 2020; 40(3):413-423. DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa004. View

Allan A, Hellens R, Laing W . MYB transcription factors that colour our fruit. Trends Plant Sci. 2008; 13(3):99-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2007.11.012. View

Takos A, Jaffe F, Jacob S, Bogs J, Robinson S, Walker A . Light-induced expression of a MYB gene regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in red apples. Plant Physiol. 2006; 142(3):1216-32. PMC: 1630764. DOI: 10.1104/pp.106.088104. View

10.

Espley R, Hellens R, Putterill J, Stevenson D, Kutty-Amma S, Allan A . Red colouration in apple fruit is due to the activity of the MYB transcription factor, MdMYB10. Plant J. 2006; 49(3):414-27. PMC: 1865000. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02964.x. View

11.

Anders S, Pyl P, Huber W . HTSeq--a Python framework to work with high-throughput sequencing data. Bioinformatics. 2014; 31(2):166-9. PMC: 4287950. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu638. View

12.

He J, Giusti M . Anthocyanins: natural colorants with health-promoting properties. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2011; 1:163-87. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.food.080708.100754. View

13.

Ban Y, Honda C, Hatsuyama Y, Igarashi M, Bessho H, Moriguchi T . Isolation and functional analysis of a MYB transcription factor gene that is a key regulator for the development of red coloration in apple skin. Plant Cell Physiol. 2007; 48(7):958-70. DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcm066. View

14.

Stockinger E, Gilmour S, Thomashow M . Arabidopsis thaliana CBF1 encodes an AP2 domain-containing transcriptional activator that binds to the C-repeat/DRE, a cis-acting DNA regulatory element that stimulates transcription in response to low temperature and water deficit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997; 94(3):1035-40. PMC: 19635. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.3.1035. View

15.

Vimolmangkang S, Han Y, Wei G, Korban S . An apple MYB transcription factor, MdMYB3, is involved in regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis and flower development. BMC Plant Biol. 2013; 13:176. PMC: 3833268. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-13-176. View

16.

An J, Wang X, Li Y, Song L, Zhao L, You C . EIN3-LIKE1, MYB1, and ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR3 Act in a Regulatory Loop That Synergistically Modulates Ethylene Biosynthesis and Anthocyanin Accumulation. Plant Physiol. 2018; 178(2):808-823. PMC: 6181056. DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00068. View

17.

Sakuma Y, Liu Q, Dubouzet J, Abe H, Shinozaki K, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K . DNA-binding specificity of the ERF/AP2 domain of Arabidopsis DREBs, transcription factors involved in dehydration- and cold-inducible gene expression. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2002; 290(3):998-1009. DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.2001.6299. View

18.

An J, Liu Y, Zhang X, Bi S, Wang X, You C . Dynamic regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis at different light intensities by the BT2-TCP46-MYB1 module in apple. J Exp Bot. 2020; 71(10):3094-3109. PMC: 7475178. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa056. View

19.

Liu M, Chen Y, Chen Y, Shin J, Mila I, Audran C . The tomato Ethylene Response Factor Sl-ERF.B3 integrates ethylene and auxin signaling via direct regulation of Sl-Aux/IAA27. New Phytol. 2018; 219(2):631-640. DOI: 10.1111/nph.15165. View

20.

Chen C, Chen H, Zhang Y, Thomas H, Frank M, He Y . TBtools: An Integrative Toolkit Developed for Interactive Analyses of Big Biological Data. Mol Plant. 2020; 13(8):1194-1202. DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2020.06.009. View