The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on expression of ethylene receptor genes in durian pulp during ripening

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for simple and nondestructive durian fruit maturity assessment

Accurately predicting durian maturity is a critically unresolved worldwide issue. Farmers currently determine durian ripeness based on their own observation and experience leading to inconsistencies in harvest timing. This reliance on human judgment often results in premature or overripe harvests, impacting fruit quality, yield, and market value. Existing technological solutions, such as sensors are often complex and require specialized expertise, hindering their adoption by farmers and consumers. Developing sensors that can accurately measure durian ripeness without damaging the fruit, are easy to use, and affordable remains a challenge. We introduce a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) for on-site, safe matching to meet the demands of durian maturity evaluation. The μPAD automatically collected peduncle fluid without destroying the durian fruit for dual detection of total sugar and amino acid. For determining total sugar including sucrose, glucose, and fructose, several enzymatic steps were reduced to a single step of invertase for sucrose hydrolysis before total reducing sugar was measured using gold nanoparticle (AuNP) generation. Kinetics study of invertase on the μPAD showed Vmax and Km values of 1.42 mM min-1 and 2.17 mM, respectively, that agreed with the direct study of sucrose conversion. To increase device reliability, amino acid was also simultaneously measured with sugar using the simple ninhydrin test with the addition of SnCl2. The developed sensor provided LODs of 3.50, 3.10, 3.30 μM, and 0.02 mg mL-1 for glucose, fructose, sucrose, and amino acid respectively. The μPADs were able to nondestructively discriminate between the mature and immature durians, showing high linear correlation with the standard dry weight method. The development of this μPAD technology has the potential to revolutionize durian cultivation practices, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance the overall sustainability and profitability of the durian value chain, and can be further developed for maturity tests of other fruits.

Comparative network analysis reveals the regulatory mechanism of 1-methylcyclopropene on sugar and acid metabolisms in yellow peach stored at non-chilling temperatures

Soluble carbohydrates and organic acids are critical determinants of fruit flavor and consumer preference, both of which are susceptible to postharvest treatments and storage conditions. While the individual effectiveness of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and non-chilling temperature storage in delaying fruit ripening and influencing flavor development has been established, their combined effects on peach storage traits remain unexplored. This study investigated the impact of 1-MCP combined with non-chilling temperature storage on the quality and flavor attributes of yellow peach. Our results revealed that 1-MCP treatment reduced ethylene production during storage and delayed ripening and softening by down-regulating ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that 1-MCP maintained higher levels of soluble carbohydrates by up-regulating sucrose phosphate synthase (PpSPS1/2) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (PpSDH1) while down-regulating hexokinase (PpHXK1). Concurrently, 1-MCP preserved citric and malic acid levels by suppressing aconitate hydratase (PpACO1) and inducing malate dehydrogenase (PpMDH1), thereby delaying flavor degradation. Co-expression network analysis implicated ethylene response factors (PpERFs) as major regulators of sugar and acid metabolisms genes, with PpERF19 potentially functioning as a key transcriptional controller. Overall, this study verified the efficacy of combined 1-MCP and non-chilling storage for yellow peach preservation, identified key 1-MCP-modulated genes involved in sugar and acid metabolisms, and provided insights into regulating peach flavor development via postharvest approaches.

An efficient screening system of disease-resistant genes from wild apple, Malus sieversii in response to Valsa mali pathogenic fungus

For molecular breeding of future apples, wild apple (Malus sieversii), the primary progenitor of domesticated apples, provides abundant genetic diversity and disease-resistance traits. Valsa canker (caused by the fungal pathogen Valsa mali) poses a major threat to wild apple population as well as to cultivated apple production in China. In the present study, we developed an efficient system for screening disease-resistant genes of M. sieversii in response to V. mali. An optimal agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation of M. sieversii was first used to manipulate in situ the expression of candidate genes. After that, the pathogen V. mali was inoculated on transformed leaves and stems, and 3 additional methods for slower disease courses were developed for V. mali inoculation. To identify the resistant genes, a series of experiments were performed including morphological (incidence, lesion area/length, fungal biomass), physiological (H2O2 content, malondialdehyde content), and molecular (Real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) approaches. Using the optimized system, we identified two transcription factors with high resistance to V. mali, MsbHLH41 and MsEIL3. Furthermore, 35 and 45 downstream genes of MsbHLH41 and MsEIL3 were identified by screening the V. mali response gene database in M. sieversii, respectively. Overall, these results indicate that the disease-resistant gene screening system has a wide range of applications for identifying resistant genes and exploring their immune regulatory networks.

Determination of the relationship between respiration rate and ethylene production by fruit sizes of different tomato types

BACKGROUND

Tomatoes of different types and cultivars are grown in different parts of the world. Accordingly, the phenological, pomological and biochemical characteristics of these types and cultivars may differ from each other, and therefore their ripening behaviours may also differ. The present study aimed to determine the respiration rate and ethylene production of twelve commonly grown cultivars in Turkey at harvest and during the ripening stage. The fruits were harvested at the mature green stage and categorized according to their size as small, medium and large-fruited cultivars.

RESULTS

At harvest time, the highest respiration rate was determined from 'Moda' (small-fruited) cultivar and the lowest was from 'Elips' (medium-fruited). The highest ethylene production was determined from 'Sarikiz' (small-fruited) and the lowest was from 'Alberty' (large-fruited). All tomato cultivars examined in the study showed climacteric respiration behavior during the ripening, and it was determined that small-fruited types had a higher respiration rate and ethylene production compared to medium and large-fruited ones. 'Sarikiz' (small-fruited) had the highest climacteric peak and 'Gulpembe' (large-fruited) had the lowest. Moreover, it was determined that the respiration rate of small-fruited cultivars were 5.01-fold higher compared to other cultivars and this type of cultivars produced 4.19-fold higher ethylene compared to big-fruited cultivars at harvest. Medium-fruited tomatoes had 1.90-fold higher respiration rate and 1.64-fold ethylene production compared to big-fruited tomatoes.

CONCLUSION

It was determined that fruit size and respiration rate were related independently of the cultivars, although there was no relationship between fruit size and ethylene production. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Editing of the starch branching enzyme gene SBE2 generates high-amylose storage roots in cassava

The production of high-amylose cassava through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the starch branching enzyme gene SBE2 was firstly achieved. High-amylose cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is desirable for starch industrial applications and production of healthier processed food for human consumption. In this study, we report the production of high-amylose cassava through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the starch branching enzyme 2 (SBE2). Mutations in two targeted exons of SBE2 were identified in all regenerated plants; these mutations, which included nucleotide insertions, and short or long deletions in the SBE2 gene, were classified into eight mutant lines. Three mutants, M6, M7 and M8, with long fragment deletions in the second exon of SBE2 showed no accumulation of SBE2 protein. After harvest from the field, significantly higher amylose (up to 56% in apparent amylose content) and resistant starch (up to 35%) was observed in these mutants compared with the wild type, leading to darker blue coloration of starch granules after quick iodine staining and altered starch viscosity with a higher pasting temperature and peak time. Further ¹H-NMR analysis revealed a significant reduction in the degree of starch branching, together with fewer short chains (degree of polymerization [DP] 15-25) and more long chains (DP>25 and especially DP>40) of amylopectin, which indicates that cassava SBE2 catalyzes short chain formation during amylopectin biosynthesis. Transition from A- to B-type crystallinity was also detected in the starches. Our study showed that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of starch biosynthetic genes in cassava is an effective approach for generating novel varieties with valuable starch properties for food and industrial applications.

Different regulatory mechanisms of plant hormones in the ripening of climacteric and non-climacteric fruits: a review

This review contains the regulatory mechanisms of plant hormones in the ripening process of climacteric and non-climacteric fruits, interactions between plant hormones and future research directions. The fruit ripening process involves physiological and biochemical changes such as pigment accumulation, softening, aroma and flavor formation. There is a great difference in the ripening process between climacteric fruits and non-climacteric fruits. The ripening of these two types of fruits is affected by endogenous signals and exogenous environments. Endogenous signaling plant hormones play an important regulatory role in fruit ripening. This paper systematically reviews recent progress in the regulation of plant hormones in fruit ripening, including ethylene, abscisic acid, auxin, jasmonic acid (JA), gibberellin, brassinosteroid (BR), salicylic acid (SA) and melatonin. The role of plant hormones in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits is discussed, with emphasis on the interaction between ethylene and other adjustment factors. Specifically, the research progress and future research directions of JA, SA and BR in fruit ripening are discussed, and the regulatory network between JA and other signaling molecules remains to be further revealed. This study is meant to expand the understanding of the importance of plant hormones, clarify the hormonal regulation network and provide a basis for targeted manipulation of fruit ripening.

Genomic Approaches for Improvement of Tropical Fruits: Fruit Quality, Shelf Life and Nutrient Content

The breeding of tropical fruit trees for improving fruit traits is complicated, due to the long juvenile phase, generation cycle, parthenocarpy, polyploidy, polyembryony, heterozygosity and biotic and abiotic factors, as well as a lack of good genomic resources. Many molecular techniques have recently evolved to assist and hasten conventional breeding efforts. Molecular markers linked to fruit development and fruit quality traits such as fruit shape, size, texture, aroma, peel and pulp colour were identified in tropical fruit crops, facilitating Marker-assisted breeding (MAB). An increase in the availability of genome sequences of tropical fruits further aided in the discovery of SNP variants/Indels, QTLs and genes that can ascertain the genetic determinants of fruit characters. Through multi-omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics, the identification and quantification of transcripts, including non-coding RNAs, involved in sugar metabolism, fruit development and ripening, shelf life, and the biotic and abiotic stress that impacts fruit quality were made possible. Utilizing genomic assisted breeding methods such as genome wide association (GWAS), genomic selection (GS) and genetic modifications using CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenics has paved the way to studying gene function and developing cultivars with desirable fruit traits by overcoming long breeding cycles. Such comprehensive multi-omics approaches related to fruit characters in tropical fruits and their applications in breeding strategies and crop improvement are reviewed, discussed and presented here.

Lipoxygenase and Its Relationship with Ethylene During Ripening of Genetically Modified Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Research background

TomloxB is the main isoform of lipoxygenase associated with ripening and senescence of fruits. On the other hand, ethylene, a gaseous hormone, is essential for the regulation of ripening in climacteric fruits like tomatoes. However, the relationship between TomloxB and ethylene production has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, we aim to assess the effect of exogenous ethylene in transgenic tomatoes that contain a silenced TomloxB gene, and subsequently evaluate lipoxygenase activity, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and ethylene production; as well as to quantify the expression of the genes encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and TomloxB.

Experimental approach

To investigate the effect of lipoxygenase and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase activity, fruits harvested at the stages of break, turning and pink were used. Tomatoes at break stage collected from transgenic and wild type plants were used to determine ethylene production and gene expression. Genetically modified and wild type tomato fruits were exposed to 100 μL/L exogenous ethylene. Lipoxygenase activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Activity of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and ethylene production were determined by gas chromatography. Oligonucleotides for differentially expressed genes: 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and TomloxB were used to determine gene expression by real-time PCR.

Results and conclusions

The data showed that silencing of TomloxB caused a reduction in lipoxygenase activity and ethylene production in tomato fruits, and also reduced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase activity. Hence, the addition of exogenous ethylene increased lipoxygenase activity in all treatments and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase activity only in transgenic lines at break stage, consequently there was a positive regulation between TomloxB and ethylene, as increasing the amount of ethylene increased the activity of lipoxygenase. The results suggest that lipoxygenase may be a regulator of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase and production of ethylene at break stage.

Novelty and scientific contribution

These results lead to a better understanding of the metabolic contribution of TomloxB in fruit ripening and how it is linked to the senescence-related process, which can lead to a longer shelf life of fruits. Understanding this relationship between lipoxygenase and ethylene can be useful for better post-harvest handling of tomatoes.

Unveiling Kiwifruit Metabolite and Protein Changes in the Course of Postharvest Cold Storage

Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward fruit is renowned for its micro- and macronutrients, which vary in their levels during berry physiological development and postharvest processing. In this context, we have recently described metabolic pathways/molecular effectors in fruit outer endocarp characterizing the different stages of berry physiological maturation. Here, we report on the kiwifruit postharvest phase through an integrated approach consisting of pomological analysis combined with NMR/LC-UV/ESI-IT-MSn- and 2D-DIGE/nanoLC-ESI-LIT-MS/MS-based proteometabolomic measurements. Kiwifruit samples stored under conventional, cold-based postharvest conditions not involving the use of dedicated chemicals were sampled at four stages (from fruit harvest to pre-commercialization) and analyzed in comparison for pomological features, and outer endocarp metabolite and protein content. About 42 metabolites were quantified, together with corresponding proteomic changes. Proteomics showed that proteins associated with disease/defense, energy, protein destination/storage, cell structure and metabolism functions were affected at precise fruit postharvest times, providing a justification to corresponding pomological/metabolite content characteristics. Bioinformatic analysis of variably represented proteins revealed a central network of interacting species, modulating metabolite level variations during postharvest fruit storage. Kiwifruit allergens were also quantified, demonstrating in some cases their highest levels at the fruit pre-commercialization stage. By lining up kiwifruit postharvest processing to a proteometabolomic depiction, this study integrates previous observations on metabolite and protein content in postharvest berries treated with specific chemical additives, and provides a reference framework for further studies on the optimization of fruit storage before its commercialization.

Cryptococcus laurentii controls gray mold of cherry tomato fruit via modulation of ethylene-associated immune responses

This research aimed to investigate the roles of phytohormone ethylene in cherry tomato fruit immune response against gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Pretreatment with antagonistic yeast Cryptococcus laurentii resulted in a significantly decreased disease incidence of B. cinerea infection, and accompanied by a burst of ethylene production in the whole fruit. Blocking the ethylene perception by adding 1-MCP (5 μL L^-1 or greater) remarkably weaken the protection ability of fruit itself and suppressed the C. laurentii-stimulated host immune response. 5 μL L^-1 1-MCP prefumigation decreased the expression of ethylene biosynthesis and perception related genes SlACO1, SlACS2, SlERF1, SlPti5 and SlMPK3, and ethylene production in C. laurentii treated fruit. Consequently, the expressions of SlCHI9, SlGlub, SlPAL3, SlPR1 and SlPR5 up-regulated by the yeast were all impaired to different degrees by the 1-MCP prefumigation. These findings demonstrate that ethylene contributes to fruit immunity and C. laurentii-mediated immune responses of cherry tomato.