PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue

2014-01-02
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue

Researchers have uncovered the secret recipe to making some petunias such a rare shade of blue. The findings may help to explain and manipulate the color of other ornamental flowers, not to mention the taste of fruits and wine, say researchers who report their findings in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on January 2nd. From the flowers' point of view, the findings also have important implications, since blue petals instead of red might spell disaster when it comes to attracting pollinators.

The key discovery is a kind of cellular pump that was previously unknown in plants. When that pump fails to work properly, as it does in some petunias, the flower petals can't acidify special compartments within their cells. As a result, those petals turn blue instead of red or violet – much like the litmus paper many of us will recall from chemistry class.

"Blue flower colors have been enigmatic for a long time and the blue rose appears in many myths, legends, and even operas," said Francesca Quattrocchio of the VU-University in Amsterdam. "Already in the 1910s it was proposed that blue flower colors were caused by reduced acidity of the 'cell sap.' Others figured that drastic changes in the cell sap might cause terrible deleterious defects, and proposed that blue flower colors had something to do with the formation of metal-anthocyanin complexes. Our current opinion is that both got it right."

Still, no one really knew how it worked. Scientists discovered one type of proton pump in the 1980s. "Over the decades, the idea took hold that all H+ transport across internal membranes is driven by those v-ATPases," Ronald Koes of VU-University in the Netherlands explained. Not so, the new work shows.

In most cells, there are but modest differences in pH between the insides and the outsides of intracellular compartments or vacuoles. Petals, by comparison, can show much steeper pH gradients. Scientists also knew that the differences in pH between blue petunia petals and red ones were somehow connected to a handful of so-called PH genes.

Quattrocchio and Koes now find that those genes encode a proton-pumping pathway that allows petal cells, and perhaps other cells as well, to hyperacidify particular compartments. The pump is composed of two distinct proteins, which together keep on going – and building acidity – even when other pumps would stop. Blue petunias are blue because of genetic defects that leave that special pumping system out of order.

"By studying the difference between blue and red flowers of petunias, we have discovered a novel type of transporter able to strongly acidify the inside of the vacuole," Quattrocchio said.

Now they have the tools to isolate plant varieties with different acidification levels in their vacuoles, she added, and that could prove very fruitful indeed when it comes to generating new colors in valuable flowers or new tastes in fruits, wines, and juices. The researchers say those more acidic vacuoles and the pumps that make them possible might even be exploited as reservoirs for storing toxic compounds, such as metals and salts.



INFORMATION:

Cell Reports, Faraco et al.: "Hyperacidification of vacuoles by the combined action of two different P-ATPases in the tonoplast determines flower color.."



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Plant used in Chinese medicine fights chronic pain

2014-01-02
Plant used in Chinese medicine fights chronic pain A plant used for centuries as a pain reliever in Chinese medicine may be just what the doctor ordered, especially when it comes to chronic pain. A key pain-relieving ingredient is a compound known as dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) ...

JCI early table of contents for Jan. 2, 2014

2014-01-02
JCI early table of contents for Jan. 2, 2014 Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation Currently, opioids are the standard treatment for chronic pain. Patients on opioids for long periods of time become desensitized to ...

Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation

2014-01-02
Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation Currently, opioids are the standard treatment for chronic pain. Patients on opioids for long periods of time become desensitized to these drugs or become paradoxically hypersensitive ...

Doxorubicin-associated mitochondrial iron accumulation promotes cardiotoxicity

2014-01-02
Doxorubicin-associated mitochondrial iron accumulation promotes cardiotoxicity Doxorubicin is a widely used as a component of chemotherapy regimes; however, the use of doxorubicin is associated with severe cardiotoxicity. It is unclear exactly how doxorubicin ...

Biologists discover solution to problem limiting development of human stem cell therapies

2014-01-02
Biologists discover solution to problem limiting development of human stem cell therapies Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered an effective strategy that could prevent the human immune system from rejecting the grafts derived from human embryonic ...

Study on pregnancy and alcohol fails to take psychological factors into account

2014-01-02
Study on pregnancy and alcohol fails to take psychological factors into account "It is OK to drink a little bit of alcohol during pregnancy" or "a pregnant woman should not touch alcohol at all during her pregnancy". These statements represent the ...

Brain training works, but just for the practiced task, say Oregon researchers

2014-01-02
Brain training works, but just for the practiced task, say Oregon researchers Revealing pattern of changes detected in brain using MRI as 'trained' subjects show improved self-control EUGENE, Ore. -- Search for "brain training" on the Web. You'll find online exercises, ...

Mass spectrometer detection of 10 protein spots after acute high-altitude HBI

2014-01-02
Mass spectrometer detection of 10 protein spots after acute high-altitude HBI Hypobaric hypoxia can cause severe brain damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, and is involved in hypoxic brain injury. Dr. Jianyu Li and colleagues from Logistics College of Chinese ...

Differences in brain structure in patients with distinct sites of chronic pain

2014-01-02
Differences in brain structure in patients with distinct sites of chronic pain Accumulating evidence indicates that chronic pain of different etiologies is often associated with distinct gray matter volume reductions in multiple brain regions associated with ...

Diffusion tensor MRI-based tractography in evaluation of nerve root function

2014-01-02
Diffusion tensor MRI-based tractography in evaluation of nerve root function If bulging or protruding intervertebral discs occupies the intervertebral foramen, and nerve roots are compressed. The cross-sectional area of nerve root fibers is reduced, fiber bundles ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Cesarean delivery linked to higher risk of pain and sleep problems after childbirth

New global burden of disease study: Mortality declines, youth deaths rise, widening health inequities

Chemobiological platform enables renewable conversion of sugars into core aromatic hydrocarbons of petroleum

Individualized perioperative blood pressure management in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery

Proactive vs reactive treatment of hypotension during surgery

Different types of depression linked to different cardiometabolic diseases

Ketogenic diet may protect against stress experienced in the womb

Adults 65 years and older not immune to the opioid epidemic, new study finds

Artificial intelligence emerging as powerful patient safety tool in pediatric anesthesia

Mother’s ZIP code, lack of access to prenatal care can negatively impact baby’s health at birth, new studies show

American Society of Anesthesiologists honors John M. Zerwas, M.D., FASA, with Distinguished Service Award

A centimeter-scale quadruped piezoelectric robot with high integration and strong robustness

Study confirms that people with ADHD can be more creative. The reason may be that they let their mind wander

Research gives insight into effect of neurodegenerative diseases on speech rhythm

Biochar and plants join forces to clean up polluted soils and boost ecosystem recovery

Salk scientist Joseph Ecker awarded McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies

ADHD: Women are diagnosed five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age.

Power plants may emit more pollution during government shutdowns

Increasing pressures for conformity de-skilling and demotivating teachers, study warns

Researchers develop smarter menstrual product with potential for wearable health monitoring

Microwaves for energy-efficient chemical reactions

MXene current collectors could reduce size, improve recyclability of Li-ion batteries

Living near toxic sites linked to aggressive breast cancer

New discovery could open door to male birth control

Wirth elected Fellow of American Physical Society

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: October 10, 2025

Destined to melt

Attitudes, not income, drive energy savings at home

The playbook for perfect polaritons

‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell

[Press-News.org] Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue