MEVALONATE KINASE represses anthocyanin biosynthesis via sucrose transporters and gibberellin synthesis pathways in Arabidopsis

Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoid pigments, function as crucial modulators of plant responses to environmental stressors by mitigating oxidative damage and facilitating cellular adaptation. Anthocyanin biosynthesis is tightly regulated by transcriptional networks that respond to developmental cues and external stimuli. Here, we identify MEVALONATE KINASE (MVK), a key enzyme of the cytosolic isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, as a repressor of sucrose-induced anthocyanin production in Arabidopsis. Loss-of-function mvk mutants show increased anthocyanin levels compared to wild-type (WT) plants under high sucrose conditions. The expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic and regulatory genes, such as CHS , DFR , and MYB75/PAP1 , is increased in mvk-1 mutants grown in the presence of high sucrose. mvk-1 mutants exhibited elevated sucrose accumulation through upregulation of sucrose transporters compared to WT under high sucrose conditions. Furthermore, reduced levels of gibberellins in mvk-1 mutants resulted in the stabilization of DELLA proteins, which are known repressors of gibberellin signaling, thereby facilitating sucrose-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Our findings demonstrate that MVK negatively regulates sucrose-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis by modulating sucrose transport and gibberellin homeostasis in Arabidopsis.