Leveraging Genetic and Genomic Resources to Link Anthocyanin Genetics and Nutrigenomics in Carrot and Blueberry

Anthocyanins (ANC) are important health-promoting pigments. Nutrigenomic studies indicated that concentration, type and chemical structure of the ANC from fruits and vegetables affect their bioactivity and bioavailability. This study investigates the genetic basis and the variation of ANC in carrot and blueberry. The health-beneficial effects associated with these metabolites and the opportunity to use ANC from these two crops as source of natural colorant or bioactive ingredient, are contributing to increase carrot and blueberry production.

Despite their importance in blueberry and carrot, little is known about the genetic mechanism controlling ANC accumulation in these two crops. In carrot, fine mapping, gene annotation and RNAseq analysis were used to identify candidate genes controlling ANC accumulation and the acylated forms of cyanidin, that has a negative effect on ANC bioavailability. Using this approach, 31 and 909 genes involved in the ANC biosynthesis and regulatory network, respectively, were annotated. Three candidate genes regulating the ANC pathway and the ANC acylation were identified. In blueberry, establishment of a new method to overcome fruit size bias for quantitative genetic analysis of ANC content is underway. Preliminary data from different germplasms indicated a great variation in terms of type of ANC and total ANC content. These results open new opportunities to further perform QTL mapping and candidate gene analysis for ANC accumulation in blueberry.

In the long term, the outcome of this project will fill the gaps between plant breeding and nutritional genomics and support the development of new blueberry and carrot cultivars with improved health properties.