Selenium and anthocyanins share the same transcription factors R2R3MYB and bHLH in wheat

• Pigmented crop varieties had higher Se concentration and absorption.. • Se fertilizer concentration effect anthocyanins linear. • Se effect the type diversity of anthocyanins. • R2R3-MYB and bHLH co-regulate Se and anthocyanin pathways. • The quality of pigmented crop under Se treatment is more improved than others. Anthocyanins and selenium have vital biological functions for human and plants, they were investigated thoroughly and separately in plants. Previous studies indicated pigmented fruits and vegetables had higher selenium concentration, but whether there is a relationship between anthocyanins and selenium is unclear. In this study, a combined phenotypic and genotypic methodological approach was undertaken to explore the potential relationship between anthocyanins and selenium accumulation by using phenotypic investigation and RNA-seq analysis. The results showed that pigmented cultivars enrichment in Se is a general phenomenon observed for these tested species, this due to pigmented cultivars have higher Se efficiency absorption. Se flow direction mainly improve concentration of S-rich proteins of LMW-GS. This may be a result of the MYB and bHLH co-regulate anthocyanins biosynthesis and Se metabolism at the transcriptional level. This thesis addresses a neglected aspect of the relevant relationship between anthocyanins and selenium.