Transcriptome analyses to Caladium Leaves and Petioles

Metabolic engineering of anthocyanin synthesis is an active research area for pigment breeding and remains a research hotspot involving AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors. Caladium bicolor is a desirable anthocyanin metabolic engineering receptor, with its abundant leaf color and stable genetic transformation system. We transformed C. bicolor with AtPAP1 and ZmLc and successfully obtained transgenic plants. We then used transcriptome analyses to identify differentially expressed anthocyanin transcripts between wild-type and transgenic lines. In this study, a network regulatory model of AtPAP1 and ZmLc in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis and transport in C. bicolor was proposed, which provides insights into the color formation mechanisms of C. bicolor, and lays a foundation for the precise regulation of anthocyanin metabolism and biosynthesis for economic plant pigment breeding.