Anthocyanin Synthesis in Corn Endosperm Tissue Cultures. I. Identity of the Pigments and General Factors.

Abstract

Until recently few physiological studies have been made which bear directly on the biosynthesis of antho-cyanin. However, a great deal of work has been done on the chemistry and genetics of these pigments. Much of the earlier literature has been summarized by Onslow (7) and more recently Blank (1) has written an extensive review. Many of these physiological studies have been concerned with the effects of environmental factors such as light and temperature. In addition, studies have been carried out to determine the effects of feeding different sugars and sugar concentrations to seedlings of green plants (3). Recently, Thimann and his associates (4, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) have entered upon a new approach to the problem of anthocyanin synthesis. They chose to work with the comparatively simple green aquatic plant, Spirodela oligorrhiza K., which can be easily grown under known controlled conditions. With this plant, for example, Edmundson and Thimann (4) have been able to demonstrate the probable mediation of a copper-containing enzyme in anthocyanin synthesis. Thimann and Radner (20) have shown that riboflavine plays an important role in the production of these pigments. Siegelman and Hendricks (11) have determined the action spectrum for anthocyanin formation in seedlings of turnip and red cabbage. They suggest that their data strongly support the implication of a copper-containing enzyme. However, in all of those studies as well as in those by many other workers, green plants or plant parts which ordinarily photosynthesize were used and under those circumstances the effects of photosynthesis, whether direct or indirect, can hardly be discounted. Slabecka-Szweykowska (12) used callus cultures of Vitis vinifera stem for studying anthocyanin synthesis.