TY  - EJOU
AU  - Zhu, Xuebing 
AU  - Jiang, Yongqiang 
AU  - Li, Wei 
AU  - Wang, Lihui 
AU  - Sun, Xuemei 

TI  - Functional Characterization of LsMYB1, a Positive Regulator of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Lettuce
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - Although transcriptional regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis have been studied in many crops, the regulatory network controlling the purple leaf trait in lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> L.) remains incompletely understood. Our previous transcriptome analysis identified <i>LsMYB1</i>. This study further carried out the cloning and structural feature analysis of the <i>LsMYB1</i> gene, and systematically verified its function using the tobacco heterologous overexpression system and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. Sequence analysis revealed a structural difference between the two alleles: the <i>LsMYB1</i> allele in the purplecultivar contains two introns and three exons, whereas the allele in the greencultivar comprises only a single exon. Overexpression of the purple-associated <i>LsMYB1</i> allele in tobacco induced anthocyanin accumulation and purple pigmentation. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of <i>LsMYB1</i> in lettuce resulted in reduced anthocyanin content and loss of purple color in most leaf areas. These results confirmsthat LsMYB1 is a regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in leaf lettuce. This study also highlights the potential role of allelic structural variation in trait diversification and provides a candidate gene for breeding lettuce with enhanced anthocyanin content.
KW  - Leaf lettuce; anthocyanin; MYB; genetic transformation; CRISPR/Cas9

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2026.083772