Genome-Wide Identification of the MATE Gene Family in Sweet Cherry and Functional Characterization of PavMATE50/51 Involved in Anthocyanin Accumulation Regulated by PavMYB10.1

Abstract Anthocyanins determine the appearance and nutritional quality of sweet cherries, yet their transport mechanism remains largely unclear. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of the MATE family in sweet cherry and characterized two key anthocyanin-related transporters. A total of 54 PavMATE genes were identified and classified into five subgroups with distinct structures and expression patterns. Expression levels of PavMATE50 and PavMATE51 gradually increased with fruit ripening and color deepening. Subcellular localization revealed that PavMATE50 targeted the Golgi apparatus and PavMATE51 targeted the endoplasmic reticulum. Ectopic overexpression in tobacco significantly enhanced the anthocyanin accumulation and petal pigmentation. Dual-luciferase, protein-DNA complex prediction, and EMSA assays confirmed that PavMYB10.1 directly activates the transcription of both genes. This study reveals a novel regulatory module for anthocyanin transport and provides valuable gene resources for the quality breeding of sweet cherry.