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5-Aminolevulinic acid promotes anthocyanin accumulation in Fuji apples

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Abstract

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an essential precursor of all tetrapyrrole compounds such as chlorophylls and heme in plants. It has also been suggested widely for applications to crops to enhance growth and production as a plant growth regulator. However, how successful ALA can be used in fruit production was rarely reported. We conducted a field experiment at eight locations in four provinces across eastern China; and the results showed that application of ALA solutions to ‘Fuji’ apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruits 20 days prior to harvest significantly increased the anthocyanin content in the fruit skin. Also, ALA treatment increased the anthocyanin content of the detached apple skin in a growth chamber. Results from the semi-quantitive RT-PCR analysis showed that ALA induced gene expressions related to anthocyanin biosynthesis, including the structural genes Pal, Chs and Ufgt, and regulatory genes Myb, bHLH and Wd40. When levulinic acid (LA), an inhibitor of ALA dehydrase, was added, ALA promotion of anthocyanin accumulation and up-regulation of gene expressions were inhibited. Taken together, these results suggest that ALA promotion of anthocyanin accumulation in apples was facilitated by the up-regulation of gene expression, which might be related to the conversion of ALA to porphyrins.

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Acknowledgments

The study was financially supported by Jiangsu Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Fund (China) Through Projects [CX (10) 410], and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31101505).

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Correspondence to L. J. Wang.

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L. Xie and Z. H. Wang are equally contributed to this work.

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Xie, L., Wang, Z.H., Cheng, X.H. et al. 5-Aminolevulinic acid promotes anthocyanin accumulation in Fuji apples. Plant Growth Regul 69, 295–303 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-012-9772-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-012-9772-5

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