Post B1m4fa0lFdbgirs7FY by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
(DIR) More posts by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
(DIR) Post #B1m4fNtaIUjh98QDOi by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:12:01Z
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A few years ago, through luck and vibes, I managed to produce this blue colored bean variety.This was an early step in trying to answer the question, "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"
(DIR) Post #B1m4fPQabGjNtms5Ts by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:13:27Z
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As a next step to figure this out, I started parallel efforts to make blue versions of lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus), runner beans (P. coccineus), & tepary beans (P. acutifolius) using the knowledge I had gained working w/ common beans (P. vulgaris).
(DIR) Post #B1m4fQbGF4rTXAs7km by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:13:57Z
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With the lima beans, I acquired this pink/magenta variety (from https://trueloveseeds.com/products/ceceilia-davis-family-lima-bean) and then produced this unmarked yellow variety (after starting from https://www.nativeseeds.org/products/pl011) to cross w/ hopes of getting me closer to the goal.So far, I have failed to cross the two.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fRcMSTKsgsOW6i by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:14:36Z
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With tepary beans (P. acutifolius), i haven't really found the starting varieties I was looking for. I've been growing some yellow and purple speckled types, but they aren't all that productive for me and seem to be still adapting to my environment.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fSMnfoTz0u7bUW by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:15:27Z
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I've had more success with the runner beans (P. coccineus).I managed to find purple and yellow varieties from Mexico. These barely managed to mature, producing 5 seeds before frost.One of those seeds turned out to grow into a hybrid with deep black seeds.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fT43514rB2M8u0 by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:16:11Z
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That plant bloomed a month earlier than either parent, leading to plenty (50+) of seeds.The first plants in the F2 population started blooming a month earlier than the initial F1.Most seeds produced were black, as expected, but brown, yellow, purple, pink, & white were found.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fThOiiYL94lZEe by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:17:24Z
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The yellows/browns have one branch of the flavonoid pathway active. The purples/pinks have the two other branches (red and blue) active.The rare "white" F2s have all three branches inactive.I was hoping for recombinations to turn up separating the red and blue branches from each other.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fUPM5HiNLPKfke by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:18:12Z
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That I was only able to recover the combinations of the red and blue genes seen in my starting varieties tells me that the genes for the two important enzymes (F3'H & F3'5'H) are tightly linked.The "V" genes (F3'5'H) is on chromosome Pv06 of the common bean genome.F3'H, responsible for producing red anthocyanins, may or may not have a specific gene label associated with it.When doing real research, you very quickly find unknowns, and you have to forge your way forward anyhow.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fVIImzfQ5p2YOe by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:18:29Z
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I'll refer to the gene for F3'H as "R" (for red). It has canonically been thought to be found on chromosome Pv02.This wouldn't be linked with the "V" trait, as I have observed (repeatedly).So... what's going on?
(DIR) Post #B1m4fVqgj9AloT80zg by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:19:47Z
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It turns out that F3'H is important for how plants respond to UV stress. (https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/1/118)Thus, essentially, every plant species will maintain an active copy of this gene.Beans with this gene inactive in the seed coat have to be doing so via a different mechanism than breaking the gene.Since I've already found that "R" is tightly linked to "V", maybe there is a transcription factor responsible for activating F3'H in the seed coat that just happens to be linked to the V/F3'5'H gene.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fWQqYi61cc2tM0 by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:20:38Z
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As I puzzled over how to identify such a transcription factor gene, I found myself rereading the 2022 paper that identified the location of the V/F3'5'H gene. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35432409/)In that paper, as an aside, they mention finding a 2nd copy of F3'H adjacent to the F3'5'H gene, with both resting within a heterochromatic region around the centromere. Such regions show dramatically reduced crossovers, thus recombination.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fX3qDjHvZYI28O by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:21:18Z
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It looks like that 2022 paper likely found my "R" gene, even though that is in no way what they were looking for!Ideally, I would now send off some tissue samples for targeted sequencing of the putative "R" gene in my blue (as well as red and yellow) beans.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fXxUsno8MAKTsu by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:21:38Z
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This would be needed to confirm my blue lines have a broken F3'H, and my red lines have a broken F3'5H. A funded lab would then engineer these broken versions of the genes into a purple bean to confirm each pathway being broken separately.I don't have a funded lab.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fYZQbm9IFo4m0W by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:21:57Z
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I may still slowly move towards getting these final steps completed, but already, I have a pretty good answer to the question that started this all.I know that many of you have been following this story over the last years. You don't have to worry, I will continue posting bean content.I'm just feeling quite pleased with coming to a solid biological answer for this, admittedly quixotic, quest of mine.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fZFG6FbqLXeBCy by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:22:24Z
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Next steps?I still really want to make blue versions of lima beans, runner beans, and whatever else I can manage.Because limas have the least brown pigments, I expect a blue in that species will be the most clear and bright blue that is possible. I really want to see that.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fa0lFdbgirs7FY by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:23:00Z
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With the runner bean project, I may take a different direction to get there.The two species are very closely related. Their genomes have largely the same order of genes.I already made one cross between my blue common beans and a purple runner bean with black speckles.The result is that F1 hybrids are easily made by transferring runner bean pollen to the common bean flower, but not the other direction.Thus, I can use such hybrids to introgress the blue seed trait into runner beans!
(DIR) Post #B1m4faIqAQ4JcwKYQi by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:23:27Z
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The ideal cross would be between my blue bush beans and the "white" seeded runner beans I found in the F2 population I described above.I use quotation marks because the seeds aren't actually white.Instead, they're a pale brown color caused by the oxidation of colorless flavonoids into brown tannins.The result of this cross will produce blue seeds, and some of them will look almost 100% like runner beans.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fathxLYjTHZztY by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:23:49Z
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This lets me short-circuit my blue runner bean project.I can grow all these together in 2026 to advance three goals.* "white" runner beans.* blue common beans.* magenta lima beans.* yellow lima beans.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fb7t6ctyBGDJzs by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:24:03Z
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This will increase the "white" runner beans while possibly producing the common-x-runner bean hybrid I need.The lima beans will have more trellis area than I've grown before, increasing the odds of finding or producing a hybrid between them.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fbY7X5sxUcUGsy by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:24:37Z
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I'm also using the knowledge I've gained to make blue carrots.I've been looking into making blue daylilies, too.Some plants, like roses and squash, don't naturally include the critical F3'5'H enzyme needed to make blue anthocyanins, but I keep thinking about these, too.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fbtOG0toYaRG2S by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:25:24Z
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In the meantime, I'm going to try and produce a set of locally adapted varieties of colorful runner beans. These will increase the genetic diversity of the species available locally.(The dark blues here darkened towards black when dry.)
(DIR) Post #B1m4fcnksRzBNOoGtU by amerika@annihilation.social
2025-12-30T12:43:29.769086Z
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@thebiologistisn Make them produce THC please
(DIR) Post #B1m4fhZ3AYC69Ey6AS by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:25:46Z
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I'm pretty sure blue versions are possible in other legumes.Fava beans, sword beans, mung beans, chickpeas, and others seem to have the right genetics available.A like-minded colleague is working towards a blue adzuki bean. I'll probably start working with cowpeas in 2026.
(DIR) Post #B1m4fnKNk01g1U9T8a by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-29T23:26:11Z
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The tight linkage between F3'H and F3'5'H is the major stumbling block if you can grow those crops. (I have repeatedly failed to grow favas.)Let me know if you're interested in working with one of these other crops. I am willing to advise!
(DIR) Post #B1nJH10XR2NXgJTLOK by thebiologistisn@redwombat.social
2025-12-30T20:52:15Z
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@amerika Some biologists have engineered yeast to produce THC for research purposes. The DEA got very touchy with that.