Increased accumulation of anthocyanins in transgenic potato tubers by overexpressing the 3GT gene

In order to explore a biotechnological method for improving potato tuber color and creating plants with increased anthocyanin contents, a potato UDP-glucose: flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferase (3GT) gene was inserted behind the GBSSI promoter of pBin19, and this construct was introduced into Solanum tuberosum L. cultivar Désirée plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Six independent transgenic lines overexpressing the 3GT gene were identified by PCR and Southern blot analysis from 18 kanamycin-resistant plants. Due to the expression of 3GT gene, the tuber color and the anthocyanin content were enhanced noticeably in the transgenic plants compared to the wild-type control plants. This result suggests that the 3GT gene can potentially be used to improve potato color and enhance levels of antioxidants in the diet.