Figure 9
Complementation of the white petal phenotype in a transient assay by over-expression of MYB110a . White flowers of a progeny genotype (21-05-09e) of the F2 backcross (Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis x Actinidia eriantha) x Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis hybrid population were syringed at a cut surface and kept on agar for four days. A flower was transfected with 35S::MYB110a at the petal edge. In the surrounding area of the infiltration, over-expression of MYB110a complemented the white phenotype and restored the ability to synthesise anthocyanin in petals. The white flowers followed their natural senescence pathway and coloured to light apricot during the four-day experiment. Microscopy showed that within the area of infiltration single cells within the petal transfected with 35S::MYB110a were highly pigmented (magnification x10 upper, and x40 lower panel), and the pigment was contained within the cells (Figure 9c, 9d, 9e). When the petal was transfected with 35S::GFP as control, the cells did not show any anthocyanin accumulation, light (upper) and fluorescence (lower) microscopy showed only GFP expression in the area of infiltration (Figure 9f, 9g, 9h).