A transcriptome-based model for colour change in Lotus and emergence of bird pollination

Post-anthesis colour change (PACC) is widespread in the angiosperms. Yet we know little about how this trait operates at the molecular level. By comparing the transcriptomes of pre- and post-colour change flowers in Lotus, Boehm et al. propose a model that encompasses the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway and related transcription factors as the drivers of PACC.

Understanding how PACC is regulated at the molecular level is crucial to understanding how flower colour has evolved in response to pollinator transitions in Lotus. This study will provide the basis from which the emergence of bird pollination in section Rhyncholotus may be further investigated.