Molecular mechanisms of phytohormone ABA-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berry: an epigenetic dual-gating hypothesis within a five-layer regulatory framework

Anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berries is a complex process regulated by the phytohormone abscisic acid, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying cultivar-specific responses and environmental memory remain poorly understood. This review proposes an “epigenetic dual-gating” working hypothesis that positions DNA methylation and histone modifications as two sequential decision checkpoints hypothesized to govern ABA signal conversion into transcriptional output. The first gate, DNA methylation, determines transcription factor accessibility, with methylation levels classifying cultivars into three states: locked in non-pigmented cultivars with greater than 70% methylation, partially open in pink cultivars with 25%–70% methylation, and fully open in red cultivars with less than 25% methylation. The second gate, histone modifications, is hypothesized to determine chromatin permissiveness through the balance between activating marks such as H3K9ac and H3K4me3 and repressive marks such as H3K27me3 and H3K9me2. Both gates must be simultaneously open for VvMYBA activation and anthocyanin synthesis, although direct characterization of histone states at the VvMYBA locus in grape remains to be performed. This mechanism is further integrated into a five-layer regulatory framework encompassing ABA homeostasis, signal transduction, epigenetic gating, transcriptional network, and metabolic execution. The epigenetic layer is repositioned as an active decision-making center rather than a passive recorder, providing unified explanations for cultivar differences, environmental memory, and signal specificity. While mechanistic connections between ABA signaling and epigenetic modifications require further experimental validation, this conceptual framework integrates current knowledge, generates testable predictions, and offers theoretical foundations for epigenetic interventions in grape quality regulation under climate change scenarios.