Enhancement of the anthocyanin contents of Caladium leaves and petioles via metabolic engineering with co-overexpression of AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors

Metabolic engineering of anthocyanin synthesis is an active research area for pigment breeding and remains a research hotspot involving AtPAP1 and ZmLc transcription factors. is a desirable anthocyanin metabolic engineering receptor, with its abundant leaf color and stable genetic transformation system. We transformed with and and successfully obtained transgenic plants. We then used a combination of metabolome, transcriptome, WGCNA and PPI co-expression analyses to identify differentially expressed anthocyanin components and transcripts between wild-type and transgenic lines. Cyanidin-3- -glucoside, cyanidin-3- -rutinoside and peonidin-3- -rutinoside are the main components of anthocyanins in the leaves and petioles of . Exogenous introduction of and resulted in significant changes in pelargonidins, particularly pelargonidin-3- -glucoside and pelargonidin-3- -rutinoside in . Furthermore, 5 MYB-TFs, 9 structural genes, and 5 transporters were found to be closely associated with anthocyanin synthesis and transport in . In this study, a network regulatory model of AtPAP1 and ZmLc in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis and transport in was proposed, which provides insights into the color formation mechanisms of , and lays a foundation for the precise regulation of anthocyanin metabolism and biosynthesis for economic plant pigment breeding.