The presence and accumulation of the antioxidant pigment anthocyanin dictates fruit hue in plums, and the synthesis of this compound is known to be regulated by the MYB10 genes. Now, researchers from the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) and the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) have found the gene that determines Japanese plum skin color. In a study published at the scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science, the team reveals that the plum genome contains several copies of the MYB10 genes, and that DNA variations in one of these copies cause plums to have anthocyanins in the skin (showing a blue to red color) or not (presenting a yellow or green tone).