Anthocyanin accumulation in tubers of

sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam

CEMSA 78354) by means of the expression
of transcription factors from Antirrhinum

majus

Ninel Peralta Ballb1, Laritza Caridad Domnguez Rabilero2, Danalay Somontes Snchez2, Arletys
Verdecia Mogena1, Andrys Martnez Proenza1, Francisco Rodrguez Risco2, Rolando Morn
Valdivia2.
1.
Universidad de Camagey Ignacio Agramonte; ninel.peralta@reduc.edu.cu
2.
Centro de Ingeniera Gentica y Biotecnologa (CIGB) de Camagey

Ciego de Avila, 2015

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There are three basic groups of anthocyanin pigments in

higher plants: derivatives of pelargonidin, of cyanidin and of
delphinidin

The French paradox

Beneficial properties of anthocyanins

stimulate immune system

reduce osteoporosis risks
fight the premature aging
improve mental reasoning
reduce Alzheimer and Parkinson risks
protect from cataracts and macular degeneration
relieve night blindness
protect cells from free radical damages
replace vitamins C and E when they are oxidated
normalize anti-inflammatory answer
protect from radiations and some environmental
contaminants
reduce histamine production and allergic reactions
improve healing of soft tissues

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Pharmaceutical industries

Food industry

Kinds of anthocyanins

Florigene

Cosmetics

Polyphenols absorb UV light and plants use them as sunscreens

Some dietary polyphenols promote health by reducing inflammation

Resveratrol stimulates the activity of sirtuin 1 and may prolong life/slow aging

Resveratrol

In order to obtain resveratrol in amounts that are

commensurate with even the most conservative trials,
one needs to consume approximately 1,000 glasses of
red wine each day! Each capsule of AORs ActaResveratrol contains enough resveratrol to equal that
found in approximately 180 glasses of red wine.

Resveratrol uses

Isoflavones as phytoestrogens:
structures of genistein and 17-estradiol.

Another uses

How
anthocyanins are
produced in
plants?

Transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin

biosynthesis
Anthocyanin production is regulated at the transcriptional level by a
conserved regulatory complex, the MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) complex
comprised of three types of transcriptional regulator
Proteins involved in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis are
conserved between all higher plant species.
Although the MYB and bHLH partners can interact directly, the role of
the WDR protein is probably to stabilise this interaction to provide a
functional trans-activation complex

Co-expression of Transcription Factors

Almost exclusively cyanidin-3-rutinoside

Co-expression of Transcription Factors

Co-expression of Transcription Factors

Eugenio Butelli

Co-expression of Transcription Factors

Purple

tomato 'may
health'

boost

This offers the potential to promote health through

diet by reducing the impact of chronic disease
Professor Cathie Martin
John Innes Centre

Co-expression of Transcription Factors

Cancer-prone mice live 30% longer on a diet supplemented with purple tomatoes

Other Transcription Factors and resulting flavonols

Other Transcription Factors and resulting flavonols

Comparative nutrition
Colourants
Cosmetics
Feeds
Biofortified foods

From the greenhouse to human consumption

Sweet potato

Ipomoea batatas L.

Sixth food crop

worldwide

Nutritional value
Carbohydrates: starch, pectin,
hemicellulose, cellulose

Fibre
Proteins
Lipids
Minerals: Ca, P, K, Mg, Na, S, Fe,

Cu, Mn, Al, Zn y B

Vitamins: retinol, thiamine, niacin,
riboflavin, ascorbic acid, -tocopherol,
pyridoxine and folic acid
Functional compounds::
polyphenols and anthocyanins

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Schematic representation of genomic organization of IbMYB genes, with exons

(white boxes) and introns (lines between exons)

Mano, H., et al. Plant Physiol. 2007;143:1252-1268

Copyright 2007 American Society of Plant Biologists

Polyphenol-rich sweet potato greens extract

inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in
prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Sweet potato greens extract (SPGE) has the maximum

polyphenol content compared to several commercial
vegetables including spinach
Oral administration of 400 mg/kg SPGE remarkably
inhibited growth and progression of prostate tumor
xenografts by ~69% in nude mice
This is the first report to demonstrate the in vitro and in
vivo anticancer activity of sweet potato greens in prostate
cancer

In Cuba, the main sweet potato varieties planted annually

Clones
80%

CEMSA 78354

INIVIT B- 88

Instituto de Investigaciones
Tropicales (INIVIT).

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What do we have
already done?

General strategy
Sweet potato
PCR
Spo p DNA

Transcriptome analysis
2 leaves

Gateway recombination

2 tubers
Plant transformation vector
Illumina paired-end
sequencing

New TF + genes of interest

Spo p

MYB

ter

bHLH

ter

Resulting vector for plant transformation

Spo p

Genetic transformation of sweet potato var. CEMSA 78354 by

A. tumefaciens.
3 mL of a LBA 4404 bacterial
culture containing pJAM2025
(OD620nm 0,8 - 1,0)

Four week old in

vitro CEMSA
78354 cultured
plants

Stem internode
segments

Slow stirring 1
Infection
27 mL of liquid MS
15 20 explants

Drying
sterile filter
paper

Co- culture
24 h. static in the
dark at 280C

Washing
Regeneration/Selection
MS + 0,1 NAA +
250 mg.L-1 of Cefotaxime
+50 mg. of Kanamycin

Incubation
30 mL of liquid MS, 500 mg.L-1
of Cefotaxime for 30

Sterile distilled water

3-5 washing steps

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Evaluation of transformed explants

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Evaluation of transformed explants

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Plant adapting and propagations

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Plant
Plantadapting
adaptingand
andpropagations
propagations

Next steps: Tuber produced anthocyanin quantification and

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charaterization

Conclusions
The proposed strategy allows the obtainment
of sweet potato vaireties with higher nutritional
value.
The metodology could be applied for
anthocyanin and flavonol production in
bioreactors from transformed sweet potato
cells with pharmaceutical and food purposes.
Described metodology could be extended to
other cultures with similar purposes.
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