Phenotypic differences in anthocyanin accumulation among clonally related cultured cells of carrot

Subclones from a wild carrot cell culture have been examined for their anthocyanin accumulation in the absence and presence of DMSO and 4-coumaric acid, naringenin, dihydroquercetin or leucocyanidin. Subclones that accumulate no or extremely low levels of anthocyanin do not increase their anthocyanin accumulation when treated with DMSO or intermediates. These compounds increased the anthocyanin accumulation in subclones which produce detectable anthocyanin in their absence.Chalcone synthase was shown to be present in clones and the activity showed no correlation with the amount of anthocyanin accumulated. This suggests that the enzymes of anthocyanin biosynthesis are not coordinately repressed in the subclones which accumulate little or no anthocyanin. Dihydroquercetin and catechin were present in subclones with little or no anthocyanin but no procyanidin was detected which suggests that these subclones biosynthesize leucocyanidin but do not convert it into colorless procyanidins as a major alternative metabolic pathway to anthocyanin biosynthesis. The possibility that some clones are not anthocyanin accumulating because they have impaired transport of the sinapoylated anthocyanin into the vacuole is discussed.