AUTHOR=Naing Aung H. , Ai Trinh N. , Lim Ki B. , Lee In J. , Kim Chang K. 

TITLE=Overexpression of Rosea1 From Snapdragon Enhances Anthocyanin Accumulation and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.01070

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2018.01070

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The co-expression of <italic>Rosea1</italic> (<italic>Ros1</italic>) and <italic>Delila</italic> (<italic>Del</italic>) regulates anthocyanin levels in snapdragon flowers, as well as in tomato, petunia, and tobacco. However, there is little information on how <italic>Ros1</italic> expression alone controls anthocyanin regulation and whether it is involved in the mechanism that leads to abiotic stress tolerance. In the present study, tobacco (<italic>Nicotiana tabacum</italic> ‘Xanthi’) transgenic plants overexpressing <italic>Ros1</italic> (T<sub>2</sub>-<italic>Ros1-1</italic>, T<sub>2</sub>-<italic>Ros1-2</italic>, T<sub>2</sub>-<italic>Ros1-3</italic>, and T<sub>2</sub>-<italic>Ros1-4</italic>) promoted accumulation of anthocyanin in leaves and flowers by elevating the transcription of all key genes involved in the biosynthesis of this pigment. This promotion largely occurred through the upregulation of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (<italic>DFR</italic>), and anthocyanidin synthase genes in leaves and upregulation of <italic>DFR</italic> in flowers. Under normal conditions, the transgenic lines and wild type (WT) plants showed well-developed broad leaves and regular roots, whereas a reduction in plant growth was observed under cold and drought stresses. However, the transgenic T<sub>2</sub>-<italic>Ros1</italic> lines were able to tolerate the stresses better than the WT line by inducing reactive oxygen species scavenging activities, and the expression of antioxidant-related and stress-responsive genes. In addition, phylogenetic analysis clustered Ros1 with many transcription factors (TFs) that confer tolerance to different abiotic stresses. Overall, the results obtained here suggest that <italic>Ros1</italic> overexpression upregulates anthocyanin biosynthetic, antioxidant-related, and stress-responsive genes thereby enhancing anthocyanin accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance.</p>