Pigments in Strawberry

The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a high-value fresh fruit grown for its sweet taste, nutrient value, and attractive colors. The central pigments are the anthocyanins that provide the red coloration associated with this fruit. Over the past decade, there has been a significant progress in understanding pigment synthesis in strawberry. A sequenced genome allowed mining of orthologous genes and a rapid and effective transient assay has allowed in planta description of gene function. This chapter provides an overview of the literature germane to the discovery and functional testing of the genes that contribute to strawberry pigmentation, as well as an overview of pigmentation changes in response to environmental and postharvest variables.