Photoregulation of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) in the accumulation of anthocyanin in alpine and prairie ecotypes of <i>Stellaria longipes</i> under varied R/FR

Abstract

We studied mRNA accumulation and enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) in alpine and prairie ecotypes of Stellaria longipes . The results show that light is required for the induction of PAL and CHS and accumulation of anthocyanins. Although both the ecotypes showed higher levels of anthocyanins under high R/FR (1.9) than under low R/FR (0.7), neither of the ecotypes showed any significant difference in the transcript abundance of PAL or CHS between low R/FR and high R/FR. However, both ecotypes showed significantly higher levels of CHS activity under high R/FR than under low R/FR corresponding to their anthocyanin accumulation. These results indicate that in S. longipes regulation of CHS activity is more specific to anthocyanin synthesis than PAL under varied R/FR, with a time lag between the enzyme activity and the accumulation of anthocyanins.