The genetics of flower color

Abstract

With nearly a century of excellent research on the biochemistry and inheritance of color, and the corresponding development of incredible genetic resources, Petunia has offered perhaps the best genetic system for molecular analysis of flower color. The knowledge and materials available to the Petunia geneticist, together with the tools of genetic engineering, have allowed for the isolation and characterization of a large number of genes affecting flower color, including those encoding biosynthetic enzymes, regulators of their expression, and vacuolar function. Here we summarize current knowledge about the genes responsible for the amazing diversity of colors and color patterns observable in the genus Petunia and propose some evolutionary implications of these findings.