A Review of Research on Flower-Colored Mutants of Fragrant Cyclamens Induced by Ion-Beam Irradiation

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com main component of flower color is anthocyanin, a type of flavonoid [1]. Numerous genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis have been analyzed in various plants, and their biosynthesis pathways determined [2,3]. In addition to anthocyanins, flavonols and organic acids also play a role in flower color as ‘co-pigments’ [4]. Fragrant cyclamen cultivars were previously created using embryo rescue and chromosome doubling to perform interspecific hybridization between Cyclamen purpurascens as the pollen parent and cultivars of C. persicum [5]. Initially, the fragrant cyclamen series consisted of purple or pink flowers only and increased variations in flower color were desired. Our overall aim, therefore, is to identify the genes related to cyclamen flower color with the goal of creating different flower-color mutants by using ion-beam irradiation. Here, we summarize the results so far and consider future development of this research. The main component of cyclamen flower color is anthocyanin, with certain flavonols also involved in co-pigmentation [6]. Approximately 20 homologues of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes have so far been isolated from C. purpurascens and expression patterns examined by RT-PCR [7]. As a result, expression of a number of genes was confirmed in the slip and eye, with lower expression in the leaves. In addition, two flavonol synthase genes (CpurFLS1 and CpurFLS2) were also isolated and detailed analyses performed. As a result, CpurFLS2 is thought to play a role in flower color [8]. However, further clarification of direct involvement in flower color is required. For example, 3-O-glucosyltransferase (3GT) not only target anthocyanidin, but is also thought to act as a glycosidase of other flavonoids in freesia [9]. In the future, clarification of the enzyme genes directly related to flower color is therefore required via comparative analysis using flower-colored mutants and identification of the mutant factors.