Two MYB activators of anthocyanin biosynthesis exhibit specialized activity in petiole and fruit of diploid strawberry

This study identifies and characterizes a vegetative tissue-specific regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). We used bulk segregant analysis to identify the green petioles (gp)-1 mutation, which resides in the R2R2 MYB transcription factor FveMYB10L, making use of a mapping population that segregates for wild type (purple petiole) and mutant (green petiole) phenotypes. We pooled tissue from 25 wild-type individuals and 25 mutant individuals for DNA sequencing. The identification of FveMYB10L as a vegetative tissue-specific anthocyanin regulator distinct from the fruit-specific FveMYB10 demonstrates that specialized transcription factors regulate anthocyanins in a tissue-specific manner.