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Chlorophyll content in FW, FG, and FGD leaves. Mean values (Âą SD) of three biological replicates are shown. (PPTX 45Â kb)

Photographs of flowers of white- and green-flowered chrysanthemum cultivars used for RT-qPCR analysis presented in Figs. 6 and 7, and Additional file 5 Figure S4. (PPTX 1046 kb)

Primers used for RT-qPCR analysis. (PPTX 67Â kb)

Expression of MYB113-like and anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in FW, FG, and FGD. Microarray data were obtained as described in Fig. 4. ANS, anthocyanidin synthase; CHI, chalcone isomerase; CHS, chalcone synthase; DFR, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase. GenBank accession number of each gene is indicated in parentheses. (PPTX 50 kb)

RT-qPCR analysis of selected transcription factor genes in petals of white- and green-flowered chrysanthemum cultivars. Cultivar numbers are as in Additional file 4 Figure S2. A total of 11 genes were selected by microarray analysis (Tables 1 and 2). Three of them were differentially expressed between white and green petals (Fig. 7). The expression levels of the remaining 8 genes (presented in this Figure S4.), were not significantly different between white and green petals. Different letters indicate significant differences in Tukey–Kramer multiple-comparison test (P

Transmission electron microscopy at low magnification. Transverse sections of petals at stages 1 to 3 (S1 to S3), and leaves (L). The uppermost cell layer in each photograph is the epidermal cell layer. Bar = 20 μm. (PPTX 10712 kb)

List of chlorophyll metabolic genes. (PPTX 69Â kb)

Expression of Chl-related transcription factor genes in FW, FG, and FGD. Microarray data were obtained as described in Fig. 4. The GenBank accession number of each gene is indicated in parentheses. (PPTX 49 kb)

Late blight, caused by the notorious pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and during the 1840s caused the Irish potato famine and over one million fatalities. Currently, grown potato cultivars lack adequate blight tolerance. Earlier cultivars bred for resistance used disease resistance genes that confer immunity only to some strains of the pathogen harboring corresponding avirulence gene. Specific resistance gene-mediated immunity and chemical controls are rapidly overcome in the field when new pathogen races arise through mutation, recombination, or migration from elsewhere. A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade plays a pivotal role in plant innate immunity. Here we show that the transgenic potato plants that carry a constitutively active form of MAPK kinase driven by a pathogen-inducible promoter of potato showed high resistance to early blight pathogen Alternaria solani as well as P. infestans. The pathogen attack provoked defense-related MAPK activation followed by induction of NADPH oxidase gene expression, which is implicated in reactive oxygen species production, and resulted in hypersensitive response-like phenotype. We propose that enhancing disease resistance through altered regulation of plant defense mechanisms should be more durable and publicly acceptable than engineering overexpression of antimicrobial proteins.