Figure 1

Assessment of skin anthocyanin accumulation during apple fruit development compared with BBX gene expression. Apple fruit were assessed at seven time points; 35, 65, 85, 110, 120, 130, and 140 DAFB. (A) Photographs of representative apple fruit at each stage of development assessed showing accumulation of red colour. (B) Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside accumulation in apple fruit skin at seven time points during development. Values are the average concentration of cyanidin as determined by HPLC from two pooled fruit per time point. Time points where no cyanidin was detected are indicated by ‘nd’. Error bars show SE of four technical replicates. (C) Relative expression of DFR, UFGT, and MYB10 in apple fruit skin. Expression is relative to Actin normalized to 35 DAFB. Error bars show SE of four technical replicates. (D) Table showing relative expression level of selected BBXs in apple fruit skin at seven time points during development. Phylogenetic groups reported by Liu et al.⁵⁹ indicated. Black bar at each DAFB indicates level of expression relative to the other BBX genes. Key shows that the length of the black bars indicates level of BBX expression relative to Actin and normalised to highest expressed BBX (BBX51 at 110 DAFB).