Transcriptomic and Targeted Metabolomic Analysis Identifies Genes Involved in Differential Anthocyanin Accumulation in Potato Tubers (PRJCA041167)

Purple-fleshed potatoes accumulate high amounts of anthocyanins, which are beneficial to human health. Although the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites has been well studied in plants, the mechanisms underlying anthocyanin accumulation in different tissue regions of potato tubers remain less understood. To identify genes and metabolites involved in anthocyanin accumulation, we performed comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of pith and vasculature tissues from the tubers of three different potato cultivars. Anthocyanin-targeted metabolome analysis revealed that 20 anthocyanins were key metabolites conferring purple pigmentation in the tuber. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis identified 1,924 genes potentially involved in multiple pathways for the biosynthesis of these anthocyanins.