Takaaki Kusumi

TL;DR: This work down-regulated the endogenous dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) gene and overexpressed the Irisxhollandica DFR gene in addition to the viola F3'5'H gene in a rose cultivar, resulting in the accumulation of a high percentage of delphinidin and a novel bluish flower color.

TL;DR: DNA sequence analysis revealed that aureusidin synthase belongs to the plant polyphenol oxidase family, providing an unequivocal example of the function of the polyphenl oxidase homolog in plants, i.e., flower coloration.

TL;DR: Chalcone 4'-O-glucosyltransferase (4'CGT) is essential for aurone biosynthesis and yellow coloration in vivo, and the findings herein open the way to engineering yellow flowers for major ornamental species lacking this color variant.

TL;DR: This is the first report of the gene isolation of a B-ring-specific glucosyltransferase of anthocyanins, which paves the way to modification of flower color by production of blue anthocianins.

TL;DR: Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the 5AT protein is specifically expressed in the outer epidermal cells of gentian petals and that it is localized mainly in the cytosol, and this indicates that 5AT is a member of a proposed superfamily of multi-functional acyltransferases.