Noda K et al. 1994
- Authors:
Noda K. Glover BJ. Linstead P. Martin C.
- Title:
Flower colour intensity depends on specialized cell shape controlled by a
Myb-related transcription factor.
- Reference location:
Nature. 369(6482):661-4, 1994 Jun 23.
- Abstract:
Flower colour is determined primarily by the production of pigments,
usually anthocyanins or carotenoids, but the shade and intensity of the
colour are often changed by other factors such as vacuolar compounds, pH
and metal ions. Pigmentation can also be affected by the shape of
epidermal cells, especially those facing prospective pollinators. A
conical shape is believed to increase the proportion of incident light
that enters the epidermal cells, enhancing light absorption by the floral
pigments, and thus the intensity of their colour. We have identified a
gene (mixta) that affects the intensity of pigmentation of epidermal cells
in Antirrhinum majus petals. The cells of the corolla lobes fail to
differentiate into their normal conical form in mixta mutants. We have
cloned the mixta gene by transposon tagging; its sequence reveals that it
encodes a Myb-related protein that probably participates in the
transcriptional control of epidermal cell shape.
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