Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of Key Genes Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Leaves of Upland Rice Seedlings of Landrace 17SM-19

Anthocyanins are important flavonoid compounds with significant antioxidant activity and ornamental value in rice. In this study, using upland rice landrace 17SM-19 as the material, the anthocyanin content in leaves was determined at the one-(S1) and two-leaf stages (S2). The anthocyanin content at S1 (43.37 U/g) was significantly higher than that at S2 (16.54 U/g). With S1 considered the control, a total of 9865 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the S2, among which 4702 were upregulated and 5163 were downregulated. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in terms and pathways such as photosynthesis and ribosome. Screening of these DEGs identified 10 structural genes and four regulatory genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis. Quantitative real-time PCR verified the reliability of the transcriptome data. These results provide valuable clues for revealing the molecular mechanism underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in rice leaves.