Anthocyanidins are important pigments that cause plant tissues to develop colors. They have attracted much attention due to their crucial regulatory roles in plant growth as well as their health benefits. In order to reveal the molecular mechanism of anthocyanidin synthesis and regulation in purple corn (Zea mays L.) in this study, purple corn 963 was used to compare differences in gene expression during three stages of grain development by transcriptome analysis. A total of 17,168 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (7564 up-regulated and 9604 down-regulated DGEs) were identified. The DEGs were significantly enriched in "Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis", "Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites", and "Plant hormone signal transduction". In addition, 72 % of the structural genes that regulate anthocyanidin synthesis were up-regulated, and the transcription factors related to the accumulation of anthocyanidins were enriched during grain development. Moreover, the differential expression of phytohormone genes might also be an important factor in anthocyanidin accumulation. Transcriptomic analysis presents a molecular basis for the study of grain color changes in the three stages of grain development, and provides information for further research on the mechanism of anthocyanidin synthesis.

中文翻译：

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转录组分析揭示紫玉米 (Zea mays L.) 籽粒发育过程中花青素生物合成的机制

花青素是重要的色素，可使植物组织显色。由于它们在植物生长中的关键调节作用以及它们的健康益处，它们引起了很多关注。为了揭示紫玉米(Zea mays L.)花色素合成和调控的分子机制，本研究利用紫玉米963，通过转录组分析比较了籽粒发育三个阶段基因表达的差异。共鉴定出 17,168 个差异表达基因 (DEG)（7564 个上调和 9604 个下调的 DGE）。DEGs 在“苯丙烷生物合成”、“次生代谢物的生物合成”和“植物激素信号转导”中显着富集。此外，72%的调控花色素合成的结构基因上调，与花色素积累相关的转录因子在籽粒发育过程中富集。此外，植物激素基因的差异表达也可能是花色素积累的重要因素。转录组学分析为研究籽粒发育三个阶段的籽粒颜色变化提供了分子基础，并为进一步研究花色素合成机理提供了信息。