SummaryPigments, as coloured secondary metabolites, endow the world with a rich palette of colours. They primarily originate from plants and microorganisms and play crucial roles in their survival and adaptation processes. In this article, we categorize pigments based on their chemical structure into flavonoids, carotenoids, pyrroles, quinones, azaphilones, melanins, betalains, flavins, and others. We further meticulously describe the colours, sources, and biosynthetic pathways, including key enzymatic steps and regulatory networks that control pigment production, in both plants and microorganisms. In particular, we highlight the role of transport proteins and transcription factors in fine‐tuning these pathways. Finally, we introduce the use of pigments in practical production and research, aiming to provide new insights and directions for the application of coloured compounds in diverse fields, such as agriculture, industry, and medicine.

中文翻译：

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源自植物和微生物的天然色素：分类、生物合成和应用


摘要颜料作为有色的次生代谢物，赋予世界丰富的调色板。它们主要来源于植物和微生物，在其生存和适应过程中起着至关重要的作用。在本文中，我们根据颜料的化学结构将色素分为类黄酮、类胡萝卜素、吡咯、醌、氮杂酮、黑色素、甜菜碱、黄素等。我们进一步详细描述了植物和微生物中的颜色、来源和生物合成途径，包括控制色素产生的关键酶促步骤和调节网络。特别是，我们强调了转运蛋白和转录因子在微调这些途径中的作用。最后，我们介绍了颜料在实际生产和研究中的应用，旨在为有色化合物在农业、工业和医学等不同领域的应用提供新的见解和方向。