Single-cell analysis clarifies mosaic color development in purple hydrangea sepal

An Update on the Use of Natural Pigments and Pigment Nanoparticle Adducts for Metal Detection Based on Colour Response

Natural pigments occur in plants as secondary metabolites and have been used as safe colourants in food. Studies have reported that their unstable colour intensity might be related to metal ion interaction, which leads to the formation of metal-pigment complexes. This underlines the need for further investigations on the use of natural pigments in metal detection using colorimetric methods, since metals are important elements and can be hazardous when present in large amounts. This review aimed to discuss the use of natural pigments (mainly betalains, anthocyanins, curcuminoids, carotenoids, and chlorophyll) as reagents for portable metal detection based on their limits of detection, to determine which pigment is best for certain metals. Colorimetric-related articles over the last decade were gathered, including those involving methodological modifications, sensor developments, and a general overview. When considering sensitivity and portability, the results revealed that betalains are best applied for copper, using a smartphone-assisted sensor; curcuminoids are best applied for lead, using a curcumin nanofiber; and anthocyanin is best applied for mercury, using anthocyanin hydrogel. This provides a new perspective on the use of colour instability for the detection of metals with modern sensor developments. In addition, a coloured sheet representing metal concentrations may be useful as a standard to support on-site detection with trials on masking agents to improve selectivity.

Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis provide insight into anthocyanin biosynthesis for sepal color formation in Heptacodium miconioides

Heptacodium miconioides Rehd., commonly known as "seven-son flower," is an ornamental species with a beautiful flower pattern and persistent sepals. Its sepals are of horticultural value, turning bright red and elongating in the autumn; however, the molecular mechanisms that cause sepal color change remain unclear. We analyzed the dynamic changes in anthocyanin composition in the sepal of H. miconioides at four developmental stages (S1-S4). A total of 41 anthocyanins were detected and classified into 7 major anthocyanin aglycones. High levels of the pigments cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside were responsible for sepal reddening. Transcriptome analysis revealed 15 differentially expressed genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis that were detected between 2 developmental stages. Of these, the high expression of HmANS was considered critical structural gene related to anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in the sepal through co-expression analysis with anthocyanin content. In addition, a transcription factor (TF)-metabolite correlation analysis revealed that three HmMYB, two HmbHLH, two HmWRKY, and two HmNAC TFs exhibited a strong positive role in the regulation of the anthocyanin structural genes (Pearson's correlation coefficient > 0.90). Luciferase activity assay showed that HmMYB114, HmbHLH130, HmWRKY6, and HmNAC1 could activate the promoters of HmCHS4 and HmDFR1 genes in vitro. These findings increase our understanding of anthocyanin metabolism in the sepal of H. miconioides and provide a guide for studies involving sepal color conversion and regulation.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Unveils the Molecular Mechanism Underlying Sepal Colour Changes under Acidic pH Substratum in Hydrangea macrophylla

The hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb). Ser.), an ornamental plant, has good marketing potential and is known for its capacity to change the colour of its inflorescence depending on the pH of the cultivation media. The molecular mechanisms causing these changes are still uncertain. In the present study, transcriptome and targeted metabolic profiling were used to identify molecular changes in the RNAome of hydrangea plants cultured at two different pH levels. De novo assembly yielded 186,477 unigenes. Transcriptomic datasets provided a comprehensive and systemic overview of the dynamic networks of the gene expression underlying flower colour formation in hydrangeas. Weighted analyses of gene co-expression network identified candidate genes and hub genes from the modules linked closely to the hyper accumulation of Al³⁺ during different stages of flower development. F3'5'H, ANS, FLS, CHS, UA3GT, CHI, DFR, and F3H were enhanced significantly in the modules. In addition, MYB, bHLH, PAL6, PAL9, and WD40 were identified as hub genes. Thus, a hypothesis elucidating the colour change in the flowers of Al³⁺-treated plants was established. This study identified many potential key regulators of flower pigmentation, providing novel insights into the molecular networks in hydrangea flowers.

Intermolecular Copigmentation Between Delphinidin 3-O-Glucoside and Chlorogenic Acid: Taking into Account the Existence of Neutral and Negatively Charged Forms of the Copigment

Stopped flow corroborated by UV-vis measurements allowed for the calculation of the copigmentation constants of delphinidin 3-O-glucoside with the neutral (CP) and negatively charged CP(-) forms of chlorogenic acid. Solutions of delphinidin 3-O-glucoside in the absence and presence of the copigment were equilibrated at several pH values in the acidic region, pH < 6, and reverse pH jumps monitored by stopped flow were carried out by adding sufficient acid to give flavylium cation at pH ≤ 1. This procedure allows for the separation of three contributions: (i) all flavylium cation and quinoidal base species, (ii) all hemiketal species, and (iii) all cis-chalcone species. Reverse pH jumps can also be performed at fixed pH versus copigment addition. The contribution of trans-chalcone, minor species in the present system, requires reverse pH jumps from the equilibrium followed by a common spectrophotometer. The system was also studied by UV-vis as a function of the copigment addition at different pH values. A global fitting of all experimental data allowed for determination of the copigmentation constants with flavylium cation, K_AH⁺CP = 167 M^-1, K_AH⁺CP(-) = 338 M^-1; and quinoidal base, K_ACP = 1041 M^-1, K_ACP(-)= 221 M^-1. No significant copigmentation was observed for hemiketal and chalcones. Computational calculations confirm different geometries for the interactions of flavylium cation and quinoidal base with the neutral or the negatively charged forms of the copigment as well as predict identical relative order for the binding energies of the four adducts.

A MADS-box transcription factor, SlMADS1, interacts with SlMACROCALYX to regulate tomato sepal growth

In flowering plants, sepals play important roles in the development of flowers and fruit, and both processes are regulated by MADS-box (MADS) transcription factors (TFs). SlMADS1 was previously reported to act as a negative regulator of fruit ripening. In this study, expression analysis shown that its transcripts were very highly expressed during the development of sepals. To test the role of SlMADS1, we generated KO-SlMADS1 (knock-out) tomato mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9) technology and over-expression of SlMADS1 (OE-SlMADS1). The sepals and individual cells of KO-SlMADS1 mutants were significantly elongated, compared with the wild type (WT), whereas the sepals of OE-SlMADS1 tomatoes were significantly shorter and their cells were wider. RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) of sepal samples showed that ethylene-, gibberellin-, auxin-, cytokinin- and cell wall metabolism-related genes were significantly affected in both KO-SlMADS1 and OE-SlMADS1 plants with altered sepal size. Since SlMACROCALYX (MC) is known to regulate the development of tomato sepals, we also studied the relationship between SlMC and SlMADS1 and the result showed that SlMADS1 interacts directly with SlMC. In addition, we also found that manipulating SlMADS1 expression alters the development of tomato plant leaves, roots and plant height. These results enrich our understanding of sepal development and the function of SlMADS1 throughout the plant.

Strategies used by nature to fix the red, purple and blue colours in plants: a physical chemistry approach

While identified by the respective flavylium cation, anthocyanins are much more than this molecule. The flavylium cation (generally appearing only at very acidic pH values) is one of the molecules of a complex sequence of pH dependent molecular species reversibly interconnected by different chemical reactions. These species include the red flavylium cation, purple quinoidal base and blue or bluish anionic quinoidal bases. At the common pH of the vacuoles of simpler anthocyanins, the red flavylium cation is present only at very acidic pH values and at moderately acidic pHs there is no significant colour of the purple quinoidal base. Moreover, the blue or bluish anionic quinoidal base appearing around neutral pH values is not stable. Intermolecular (copigmentation) and intramolecular (in acylated anthocyanins) interactions increase the colour hue and yield bathochromic shifts in the absorption bands, permitting to extend the pH domain of the flavylium cation and increase the mole fraction of the quinoidal bases. Metal complexation is another strategy. In particular, the Al³⁺ cation plays an essential role in the blue colour of hydrangea. The most sophisticated structures are however the metaloanthocyanins, such as the one that gives the blue colour of commelina communis, constituted of six anthocyanins, six flavanones and two metals. In this work we discuss how physical chemical tools are indispensable to account for the chemical behaviour of these complex systems. The experimental procedures and the equations needed to calculate all equilibrium constants of anthocyanins and the consequent pH dependent mole fraction distributions in the absence or presence of copigments are described in detail. Reverse pH jumps monitored by stopped flow have been shown to be an indispensable tool to calculate these parameters.

Molecular Phylogeny, Character Evolution, and Biogeography of Hydrangea Section Cornidia, Hydrangeaceae

Background: Hydrangea section Cornidia consists of 26 currently accepted species and a yet undefined number of new species and erroneously synonymized taxa. This clade consists of (sub)tropical lianas occurring from northern Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina, and one species from Southeast Asia. Currently, no molecular phylogenetic hypothesis is available that includes more than a few species of this section. Hence, a resolved and well-sampled molecular phylogenetic hypothesis may help to enforce taxonomic decisions. In this study, we present a phylogenetic framework based on sequences from two low copy nuclear genes from a comprehensive taxon sampling of H. section Cornidia and a selection of outgroups. Our phylogenetic reconstructions prove the non-monophyly of the traditionally recognized subsections Monosegia and Polysegia and their corresponding series, Speciosae and Aphananthae, and Synstyleae and Chorystyleae, respectively. Three morphologically defined species were recovered with high support as monophyletic, namely, Hydrangea panamensis, Hydrangea serratifolia, and Hydrangea tarapotensis. However, statistical support for some shallow nodes did not allow to refute, with high support, the monophyly of several of the herein recognized species for which more than one individual could be analyzed. Based on the obtained phylogenetic framework, we reconstructed the evolution of selected reproductive characters. Hydrangea section Cornidia is the only genus section for which dioecism has been extensively documented. Our character reconstruction of sexual dimorphism shows that dioecism is the ancestral state in this section and that this was reversed to monoecy in Hydrangea seemannii and Hydrangea integrifolia. Character reconstruction for the enlarged marginal flowers recovered their presence as the ancestral character state in H. section Cornidia, although at least three internal lineages independently lost them; thus, losses were reconstructed to be more likely than gain. With respect to the flower color, more species exhibit white than red flowers, and white is reconstructed as the ancestral state. Cornidia also shows an unusual disjunct geographic distribution between Asia and Central Mesoamerica-South America, as it is not present in the USA and Canada. The origin of Cornidia is reconstructed to be the New World with higher probability, and the presence of one species in Asia is likely due to long-distance dispersal.

The complete chloroplast genome of Hydrangea strigosa Rehder (Hydrangeaceae)

Hydrangea strigosa Rehder is a wild flowering shrub with high ornamental value. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of H. strigosa was characterized from Hiseq (Illumina Co., San Diego, CA) sequencing data. The chloroplast genome of H. strigosa is 157,905 bp in length with a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) (26,127 bp) which are separated by a large single-copy (LSC) (86,897 bp) and a small single-copy regions (SSC) (18,754 bp). It contains 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNAs genes, and 8 rRNAs genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome is 37.80%. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis with the complete chloroplast genomes sequence of 22 species of Hydrangeaceae showed that H. strigosa is closely related to H. davidii.

Natural Blues: Structure Meets Function in Anthocyanins

Choices of blue food colourants are extremely limited, with only two options in the USA, synthetic blue no. 1 and no. 2, and a third available in Europe, patent blue V. The food industry is investing heavily in finding naturally derived replacements, with limited success to date. Here, we review the complex and multifold mechanisms whereby blue pigmentation by anthocyanins is achieved in nature. Our aim is to explain how structure determines the functionality of anthocyanin pigments, particularly their colour and their stability. Where possible, we describe the impact of progressive decorations on colour and stability, drawn from extensive but diverse physico-chemical studies. We also consider briefly how this understanding could be harnessed to develop blue food colourants on the basis of the understanding of how anthocyanins create blues in nature.

Insight into chemical mechanisms of sepal color development and variation in hydrangea

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is a unique flower because it is composed of sepals rather than true petals that have the ability to change color. In the early 20th century, it was known that soil acidity and Al³⁺ content could intensify the blue hue of the sepals. In the mid-20th century, the anthocyanin component 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin (1) and the copigment components 5-O-caffeoylquinic, 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic, and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acids (2-4) were reported. Interestingly, all hydrangea colors from red to purple to blue are produced by the same organic components. We were interested in this phenomenon and the chemical mechanisms underlying hydrangea color variation. In this review, we summarize our recent studies on the chemical mechanisms underlying hydrangea sepal color development, including the structure of the blue complex, transporters involved in accumulation of aluminum ion (Al³⁺), and distribution of the blue complex and aluminum ions in living sepal tissue.