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How Anthocyanin Mutants Respond To Stress: The Need To Distinguish Between Stress Tolerance And Maximal Vigour, Eric J. Von Wettberg, Maureen L. Stanton, Justen B. Whittall

Biology

Background: Anthocyanins are produced by plants in response to diverse stresses Mutants that block the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (A BP) at various steps can easily be compared across numerous abiotic stresses Hypothesis: Anthocyanins or their precursors are required for stress tolerance. Thus, ABP loss-of-function mutants should have proportionately lower fitness than wildtype plants under stress, compared with benign conditions In contrast, a decrease in maximal vigour the general capacity for growth and fecundity should be most pronounced under benign conditions that allow luxuriant growth by the most vigorous genotypes Tests: Determine whether, under stressful conditions. ABP loss-of-function mutants have relatively …