花青素属于苯丙烷类化合物，赋予了植物由红色到紫色的多种颜色，在植物授粉、抵抗紫外伤害等生理过程中起着积极作用，并且对人体来说具有抗氧化、延缓衰老等作用。经过多年的研究，花青素的生物合成途径及其转录调控因子已基本阐明。但是，花青素的降解途径以及花青素积累受到众多细胞内外因子复杂调控的分子机理有待深入研究。本项目利用模式植物拟南芥，通过我们已经建立的高通量突变体筛选方法，从不同类型的突变体库中筛选高积累花青素突变体，并克隆相关基因。同时，本研究将运用遗传学、生物化学和分子生物学等手段解析ANUB1和EMB1270调控花青素合成的分子机理。相关研究结果将完善我们对花青素代谢途径及其调控网络的认识，也为将来运用生物技术改良作物品质与抗性提供更多的选择。

Anthocyanins are a class of water-soluble flavonoid pigments having red to violet depending on the vacuolar pH and various modifications of the core. They function as visual signals to attract pollinators and as filters to absorb UV irradiation. For our human beings, anthocyanins can act as antioxidants and delay senescence. Although the pathway of anthocyanin biosynthesis and transcriptional factors involved in gene expression have been well elucidated, the degradation pathway and regulatory mechanisms underlying intra- and extra-cellular factors regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis remains largely unclear. In this proposal, we will use Arabidopsis as a model system and screen mutants with high levels of anthocyanins by a newly-established high-throughput method from different mutant stocks, and isolate new genes from these mutants. In addition, we will elucidate molecular mechanisms for ANUB1 and EMB1270 to affect anthocyanin metabolism using genetics, biochemical and molecular biological approaches. The results derived from this study will significantly strengthen our understanding of anthocyanin metabolism and its regulatory network, and provide new options to improve crop nutritional quality.