The ast ( anthocyanin spotted testa) mutant, which was induced by carbon ion radiation, was a single recessive gene mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. with spotted pigment in seed coats, and involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis. To clone the AST gene by map-based cloning strategy, a series of molecular markers were designed according to the SNPs (single nucleotide polymophisms) and insertion/deletion polymophisms in the Arabidopsis database. With these molecular markers, the fine-structure mapping of the AST gene was finished, the AST locus was located in BAC clone T13M11. It was suggested that the AST candidate gene was T13M11. 8 in the T13M11 This gene was 1432 bp long with 6 exons and 5 introns. The putative protein of T13M11. 8 gene was similar to dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), which was an important enzyme in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway.
