Anthocyanins in Leaves

Anthocyanins are the pigments in leaves and fruits that give them their colour; for example, the red colour of strawberries, or red leaves in autumn. Although these pigments are especially prominent in the autumn foliage of deciduous trees and in the growth flushes of tropical rainforest plants, they are also found in the leaves of many species after exposure to environmental or biotic stresses. Although the control of anthocyanin synthesis in vegetative organs has long been studied, and is a model system in plant molecular genetics, potential functions of these pigments in leaves have been largely ignored. This volume pulls together new information from experts in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiological ecology and plant development, providing a platform to discuss putative hypotheses for anthocyanin function in these vegetative organs.