Plant Gene and Trait 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 32-38 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 32 Research Article Open Access Identification of Genes Involved in Flower Color Formation in Rapeseed Wenzhong Huang , Zhongmei Hong CRO Service Station, Sanya Tihitar SciTech Breeding Service Inc., Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: wenzhong.huang@hitar.org Plant Gene and Trait, 2025, Vol.16, No.1 doi: 10.5376/pgt.2025.16.0004 Received: 11 Jan., 2025 Accepted: 17 Feb., 2025 Published: 25 Feb., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Huang and Hong, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang W.H., and Hong Z.M., 2025, Identification of genes involved in flower color formation in rapeseed, Plant Gene and Trait, 16(1): 32-38 (doi: 10.5376/pgt.2025.16.0004) Abstract This study introduces the genetic mechanism and regulatory mode of flower color formation in rape (Brassica napus), and explains several key genes involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotenoids, such as BnaPAP1, BnaTTG1 and BnaCRTISO, which are the core basis for the diversification of petal colors. This study, through comparative analysis with other closely related species, revealed the significant role of polyploidization and changes in regulatory patterns in the evolution of flower color, emphasizing the practical value of flower color in breseding. In the future, as long as we continue to combine these genomic tools and conduct in-depth research on the interaction between genes and the environment, there is hope to precisely control flower color traits and meet the demands of rapeseed in both practical and ornamental aspects. Keywords Rapeseed (Brassica napus); Flower color; Gene identification; Anthocyanins and carotenoids; CRISPR-Cas9 1 Introduction The flower color of rapeseed (Brassica napus) is a very important trait, which is related to its appearance and also has a great deal to do with agricultural applications. Rapeseed, as a major oil crop, is well known to all for its role in agriculture. Xiao et al. (2021) found that in recent years, its ornamental value has also begun to attract more attention, especially in tourist attractions, where the colorful rapeseed flowers can very well catch the eyes of tourists. The function of flower colors is not only for aesthetic purposes, but also different flower colors can affect the behavior of insects in collecting flower powder, which is very helpful for pollination. Flower color can also serve as a certain reference for breeding, which is helpful for selecting more attractive varieties with more stable yields. Jia et al. (2021) found that changing the color of flowers can make breeding work more effective and cultivate more new varieties with wide uses and high value. Li et al. (2023) found that the formation of flower color is related to some specific metabolic processes, such as the synthesis of flavonoids and carotenoids, which is one of the key steps. Zeng et al. (2023) can more clearly identify the genes and metabolites that affect flower color through new technologies such as transcriptomics and metabolomics, thus enabling a deeper understanding of how flower color changes. However, there are still some difficulties in the research. For instance, the relationship between genes and the environment is very complex and difficult to figure out completely. Also, in different growth environments, how to make the desired flower colors stably manifest is also a big problem (Yin et al., 2019). This study aims to clarify the molecular reasons behind the changes in flower color by using methods such as transcriptomics, metabolomics and genetic analysis, and also hopes to select some candidate genes that are useful for breeding from them. This study aims to identify the key genes and regulatory methods that affect the flower color of rapeseed, laying a foundation and providing theoretical support for cultivating new rapeseed varieties with rich flower colors and stable performance. 2 Genetic Basis of Flower Color in Rapeseed 2.1 Key pigments contributing to flower color in rapeseed The color of rapeseed flowers is mainly determined by several pigments such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotenoids. Hao et al. (2022) found that components such as pelargonidin and cyanidin in anthocyanins can turn petals red or purple. Flavonoids such as quercetin and luteolin are present in relatively high amounts in white and
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