Identification of CaAN3 as a fruit-specific regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in pepper (Capsicum annuum).

KEY MESSAGE: The novel gene CaAN3 encodes an R2R3 MYB transcription factor that regulates fruit-specific anthocyanin accumulation. The key regulatory gene CaAN2 encodes an R2R3 MYB transcription factor that regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in various tissues in pepper (Capsicum annuum). However, CaAN2 is not expressed in certain pepper accessions showing fruit-specific anthocyanin accumulation. In this study, we identified the novel locus CaAN3 as a regulator of fruit-specific anthocyanin biosynthesis, using an F2 population derived from a hybrid cultivar with purple immature fruits and segregating for CaAN3. We extracted total RNA, assembled two RNA pools according to fruit color, and carried out bulked segregant RNA sequencing. We aligned the raw reads to the pepper reference genome Dempsey and identified 6,672 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by calculating the Δ(SNP-index) between the two pools. We then conducted molecular mapping to delimit the target region of CaAN3 to the interval 184.6-186.4 Mbp on chromosome 10. We focused on Dem.v1.00043895, encoding an R2R3 MYB transcription factor, as the strongest candidate gene. Sequence analysis revealed four insertion/deletion polymorphisms in the promoter region of the green CaAN3 allele. We employed virus-induced gene silencing and transient overexpression assays to characterize the function of the candidate gene. When Dem.v1.00043895 was silenced in pepper, anthocyanin accumulation decreased in the pericarp, while the transient overexpression of Dem.v1.00043895 in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves resulted in the accumulation of anthocyanins around the infiltration sites. These results showed that Dem.v1.00043895 is CaAN3, an activator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in pepper fruits.