Advances on the transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in plant

Anthocyanins are the secondary metabolites found in higher plants,that contribute to the colors of flowers and fruits. Anthocyanins are known to play a significant role in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses.Anthocyanins are produced by regulation of many genes of a specific branch of the fiavonoid pathway. The expressions of catalyzing enzyme structure genes are regulated by putative MBW(MYB-bHLH-WD40)complexes composed of MYB,bHLH and WD40 transcriptional factors. Here,the functions and roles of the above three transcription factors are introduced to reveal their effect on the regulation of the structure gene expression and anthocyanin biosynthesis.