Unbalanced Expression of Structural Genes in Carotenoid Pathway Contributes to the Flower Color Formation of the Osmanthus Cultivar ‘Yanzhi Hong’

Carotenoids are important natural pigments that are responsible for the fruit and flower colors of many plants. The composition and content of carotenoid can greatly influence the color phenotype of plants. However, the regulatory mechanism underling the divergent behaviors of carotenoid accumulation, especially in flower, remains unclear. In this study, a new cultivar