Black goji berry (Lycium ruthenicum) is an important economic plant in China
which is high in anthocyanin. However, the genetic mechanism of anthocyanin
production in this plant is yet to be revealed. Thus, scientists from
Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding in China
conducted a study to elucidate the anthocyanin biosynthesis in black goji
berry.

Previous studies have isolated LrAN2 and LbAN2, encoding MYB transcription
factors, from black goji berry and red goji berry, respectively.
Phylogenetic trees also show that LrAN2 and LbAN2 are closely related to
NtAN2, which governs anthocyanin biosynthesis in tobacco. Thus, the
researchers overexpressed LrAN2 and LbAN2 in tobacco which exhibited
increase in anthocyanin levels. There was less anthocyanin in leaves of
transgenic lines with LbAN2 than in transgenic lines with LrAN2, indicating
that LbAN2 has weaker function than LrAN2.

[bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com]