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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 9609

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Prof. Dr. Xiangbin Xu

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Guest Editor

School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: postharvest biology; fruit; ripening; senescence; chilling injury; pathogen infection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Postharvest storage technology is vital for retaining the high quality and flavor of fruits, and to avoid economic losses. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of fruits in response to postharvest ripening and senescence, chilling injury, browning, and pathogen infection is important for fruit-storage systems and extending the shelf life of fruits. The related studies provide a forum for discussing the molecular biology of postharvest fruits, and promote the development of postharvest biological technology. Thus, the current Special Issue, entitled 'Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits', discusses the recent advances in the molecular mechanisms of fruits that are related to postharvest ripening and senescence, chilling injury, browning, and pathogen infection. Topics related to both original and reviewed articles are invited for submission.

Prof. Dr. Xiangbin Xu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

postharvest biology
fruit
storage technologies
molecular mechanisms
senescence
chilling injury
browning
nutrition
disease
toxin

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Transcription Factor MiMYB8 Suppresses Peel Coloration in Postharvest ‘Guifei’ Mango in Response to High Concentration of Exogenous Ethylene by Negatively Modulating MiPAL1

by Muhammad Muzammal Aslam, Mingrui Kou, Yaqi Dou, Shicheng Zou, Rui Li, Wen Li and Yuanzhi Shao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(9), 4841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094841 - 29 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

Anthocyanin accumulation is regulated by specific genes during fruit ripening. Currently, peel coloration of mango fruit in response to exogenous ethylene and the underlying molecular mechanism remain largely unknown. The role of MiMYB8 on suppressing peel coloration in postharvest ‘Guifei’ mango was investigated by physiology detection, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, bioinformatics analysis, yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and transient overexpression. Results showed that compared with the control, low concentration of exogenous ethylene (ETH, 500 mg·L⁻¹) significantly promoted peel coloration of mango fruit (cv. Guifei). However, a higher concentration of ETH (1000 mg·L⁻¹) suppressed color transformation, which is associated with higher chlorophyll content, lower a* value, anthocyanin content, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity of mango fruit. M. indica myeloblastosis8 MiMYB8 and MiPAL1 were differentially expressed during storage. MiMYB8 was highly similar to those found in other plant species related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and was located in the nucleus. MiMYB8 suppressed the transcription of MiPAL1 by binding directly to its promoter. Transient overexpression of MiMYB8 in tobacco leaves and mango fruit inhibited anthocyanin accumulation by decreasing PAL activity and down-regulating the gene expression. Our observations suggest that MiMYB8 may act as repressor of anthocyanin synthesis by negatively modulating the MiPAL gene during ripening of mango fruit, which provides us with a theoretical basis for the scientific use of exogenous ethylene in practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits)

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16 pages, 4468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Melatonin Treatment Maintains the Quality of Fresh-Cut Gastrodia elata under Low-Temperature Conditions by Regulating Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolism and Phenylpropanoid Pathway

by Boyu Dong, Fangfang Da, Yulong Chen and Xiaochun Ding

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14284; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814284 - 19 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

The application of melatonin (MT) has been shown to improve the quality during the storage of fruits and vegetables. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effects of MT on the quality of fresh-cut Gastrodia elata during low-temperature (4 °C) storage. The results indicated that MT treatment not only suppressed the respiratory rate and malondialdehyde content but also slowed down the decline in total acidity and total soluble solids, effectively inhibiting microbial growth and enhancing the product safety of fresh-cut G. elata. The treatment with MT reduced the superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide production, as well as inhibiting the activity and expression of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. Additionally, it led to increased activity and the expression of antioxidant-related enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase, while also resulting in elevated levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione. Furthermore, the treatment with MT induced an increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid content of fresh-cut G. elata and enhanced the activity and expression of key enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate: CoA ligase). In summary, MT enhances the antioxidant capacity by activating both the ROS metabolism and phenylpropanoid pathway, thus maintaining the quality of fresh-cut G. elata. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits)

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21 pages, 4759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Novel Active Layer-by-Layer Edible Coating on the Qualitative and Biochemical Traits of Minimally Processed ‘Annurca Rossa del Sud’ Apple Fruit

by Anna Magri, Pietro Rega, Giuseppe Capriolo and Milena Petriccione

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 8315; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098315 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1893

Abstract

The color changes brought on by the enzymatic interactions of phenolic compounds with released endogenous polyphenol oxidase and the penetration of oxygen into the tissue has a significant impact on the commercialization of fresh-cut fruit, such as apples. This process causes a loss of quality in fresh-cut apples, resulting in browning of the fruit surface. By acting as a semipermeable barrier to gases and water vapor and thus lowering respiration, enzymatic browning, and water loss, edible coatings can provide a chance to increase the shelf life of fresh-cut produce. In this study, the effect of edible coatings composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, 1%), sodium alginate (SA, 1%), citric acid (CA, 1%), and oxalic acid (OA, 0.5%) on fresh-cut ‘Annurca Rossa del Sud’ apple was studied. Four formulations of edible coatings, A. SA+CMC, B. SA+CMC+CA, C. SA+CMC+OA, and D. SA+CMC+CA+OA, were tested. Fresh-cut apples were dipped into different solutions and then stored at 4 °C, and physicochemical and biochemical analyses were performed at 0, 4, 8, and 12 days of storage. Results demonstrated that all four combinations improved the shelf-life of fresh-cut apple by slowing down the qualitative postharvest decay, total soluble solid, and titratable acidity. The browning index was highest in the control samples (82%), followed by CMC+SA (53%), CMC+SA+CA (32%), CMC+SA+OA (22%), and finally CMC+SA+CA+OA (7%) after 12 days of cold storage. Furthermore, coating application increased the bioactive compound content and antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, the synergistic activity of SA+CMC+CA+OA reduces enzymatic browning, prolonging the postharvest life of minimally processed ‘Annurca Rossa del Sud’ apples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits)

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20 pages, 13501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Series Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Ethylene Reducing Cold Sensitivity of Postharvest ‘Huangguan’ Pear

by Chuangqi Wei, Yanyan Wu, Zhenyu Ma, Yudou Cheng, Yeqing Guan, Yang Zhang, Yunxiao Feng, Xueling Li and Junfeng Guan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065326 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2056

Abstract

‘Huangguan’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd) fruit is susceptible to cold, characterized by developing peel browning spots (PBS) during cold storage. Additionally, ethylene pretreatment reduces chilling injury (CI) and inhibits PBS occurrence, but the mechanism of CI remains unclear. Here, we deciphered the dynamic transcriptional changes during the PBS occurrence with and without ethylene pretreatment via time-series transcriptome. We found that ethylene suppressed the cold-signaling gene expression, thereby decreasing the cold sensitivity of the ‘Huangguan’ fruit. Moreover, the “Yellow” module closely correlated with PBS occurrence was identified via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and this module was related to plant defense via Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Local motif enrichment analysis suggested that the “Yellow” module genes were regulated by ERF and WRKY transcription factors. Functional studies demonstrated that PbWRKY31 has a conserved WRKY domain, lacks transactivation activity, and localizes in the nucleus. PbWRKY31-overexpressed Arabidopsis were hypersensitive to cold, with higher expression levels of cold signaling and defense genes, suggesting that PbWRKY31 participates in regulating plant cold sensitivity. Collectively, our findings provide a comprehensive transcriptional overview of PBS occurrence and elucidate the molecular mechanism by which ethylene reduces the cold sensitivity of ‘Huangguan’ fruit as well as the potential role of PbWRKY31 in this process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits)

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15 pages, 10642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Knockdown of Sly-miR164a Enhanced Plant Salt Tolerance and Improved Preharvest and Postharvest Fruit Nutrition of Tomato

by Xue Wan, Zhiqiang Wang, Wenhui Duan, Taishan Huang, Hongmiao Song and Xiangbin Xu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4639; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054639 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1867

Abstract

Salinity stress is a serious limitation to tomato growth and development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Sly-miR164a on tomato growth and fruit nutritional quality under salt stress. The results showed that the root length, fresh weight, plant height, stem diameter and ABA content of miR164a#STTM (knockdown of Sly-miR164a) lines were higher than those of WT and miR164a#OE (overexpression of Sly-miR164a) lines under salt stress. Compared with WT, miR164a#STTM tomato lines exhibited lower ROS accumulation under salt stress. In addition, the fruits of miR164a#STTM tomato lines had higher soluble solids, lycopene, ascorbic acid (ASA) and carotenoid content compared with WT. The study indicated that tomato plants were more sensitive to salt when Sly-miR164a was overexpressed, while knockdown of Sly-miR164a enhanced plant salt tolerance and improved fruit nutritional value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Biology and Molecular Research of Fruits)

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