Environmental Significance of Anthocyanins in Plant Stress Responses

Abstract

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments found in all plant tissues throughout the plant kingdom. Our understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis and its molecular control has greatly improved in the last decade. The adaptive advantages of anthocyanins, especially in nonreproductive tissues, is much less clear. Anthocyanins often appear transiently at specific developmental stages and may be induced by a number of environmental factors including visible and UVB radiation, cold temperatures and water stress. The subsequent production and localization of anthocyanins in root, stem and especially leaf tissues may allow the plant to develop resistance to a number of environmental stresses. This article reviews the environmental induction of anthocyanins and their proposed importance in ameliorating environmental stresses induced by visible and UVB radiation, drought and cold temperatures.

The effects of various drip fertigated water quantities on flavonoid and anthocyanin content on hydroponically cultivated Cucumis sativa L.

“…The higher anthocyanins present in different cucumber organs supplied with low water quantities could serve as defence molecules against abiotic stresses such as water stress. This report is consistent with the finding that the presence of anthocyanins in plant tissues provided protection of plant tissues against abiotic stress such as water (Chalker-Scott, 1999). In a similar study, Mattivi et al (2006) and Castellarin et al (2007b) reported anthocyanin increases in plant tissues exposed to limited water conditions.…”

Analysis of biochemical variations and microRNA expression in wild (Ipomoea campanulata) and cultivated (Jacquemontia pentantha) species exposed to in vivo water stress

“…Anthocyanin levels are an indicator of sensitivity to diverse stresses like drought, UV-B and heavy metals (Gould 2004). Anthocyanin production is a metabolically expensive process and competes with chlorophyll for light harvesting (Chalker-Scott 1999). In the present study, J. pentantha showed higher (~3 fold) accumulation of anthocyanins compared to unstressed controls suggesting that it is experiencing a high degree of stress as compared to I. campanulata under approximately similar level of water deficit.…”

MYB-related transcription factors function as regulators of the circadian clock and anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

“…[18][19][20][21][22][23] In Arabidopsis, anthocyanin is only accumulated in the presence of light and this accumulation is promoted by different abiotic and biotic stress conditions such as cold, drought, and pathogen attack. 24,25 Almost 2 decades ago, the expressions of the genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, such as CHALCONE SYNTHASE (CHS), CHALCONE ISOMERASE (CHI), and DIHYDROFLA-VONOL 4-REDUCTASE (DFR), were found to be regulated by a circadian rhythm. 26 A number MYB transcription factors have been found to act as regulators of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.…”