Search

Flavonoid and anthocyanin levels, and the expression profiles of four flavonoid biosynthetic genes were investigated in 16 anthurium cultivars with varying spathe colours with the objective of understanding the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. The results suggested that F3H and ANS were controlled by a putative regulatory element designated 'R', DFR by another putative regulatory element designated 'O' and CHS by yet another mechanism. The differences between red and pink cultivars and orange and red cultivars were evident in both the anthocyanin and flavonoid levels as well as in the levels of expression of F3H and ANS controlled by the regulatory element 'R'. The higher level of expression of F3H in the red cultivars than in the pinks may be responsible for the different anthocyanins detected in the reds compared to the pinks. A plausible mechanism based on impediment of carbon flow down the flavonoid pathway is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA isolation was attempted using three protocols with two tissues (leaf vs. spathe) in two cultivars (Venus vs. Success) of Anthurium andraeanum (Hort.) with the aim of developing a robust, repeatable protocol capable of producing DNA of high quality and quantity. The three protocols were the Dellaporta protocol of 1983, a modified Rowhani protocol recommended by Buldewo and Jaufeerally-Fakim, and a modified Kobayashi (1998) protocol. The experiment was replicated three times with two samples per replicate and the entire trial repeated once again. The results indicated that although all the three protocols were capable of giving good yields (19-27 μg g-1), only the Dellaporta protocol gave undegraded DNA of high integrity. Among the tissue types the leaf tissue (24.7 μg g-1) gave a much higher DNA yield than spathe tissue (19.9 μg g-1). All protocols gave DNA that was PCR amplifiable and capable of digestion with the restriction enzyme, BamH1. Furthermore all the protocols gave acceptable purity levels estimated by OD 260/280 and OD 260/230. The results show that the Dellaporta protocol is the protocol of choice for library construction and other DNA manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]