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Environmental Significance of Anthocyanins in Plant Stress Responses
Author(s) -
ChalkerScott Linda
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1999.tb01944.x
Subject(s) - environmental stress , anthocyanin , pigment , biology , botany , biological pigment , water stress , chemistry , horticulture , food science , photosynthesis , ecology , organic chemistry
— Anthocyanins are water‐soluble pigments found in all plant tissues throughout the plant kingdom. Our understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis and its molecular control has greatly improved in the last decade. The adaptive advantages of anthocyanins, especially in non‐reproductive tissues, is much less clear. Anthocyanins often appear transiently at specific developmental stages and may be induced by a number of environmental factors including visible and UVB radiation, cold temperatures and water stress. The subsequent production and localization of anthocyanins in root, stem and especially leaf tissues may allow the plant to develop resistance to a number of environmental stresses. This article reviews the environmental induction of anthocyanins and their proposed importance in ameliorating environmental stresses induced by visible and UVB radiation, drought and cold temperatures.