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17 pages, 11889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Analysis of the GLK Gene Family and Its Expression at Different Leaf Ages in the Citrus Cultivar Kanpei

by Bo Xiong, Hongzhen Chen, Qingqing Ma, Junfei Yao, Jialu Wang, Wenjia Wu, Ling Liao, Xun Wang, Mingfei Zhang, Siya He, Jiaxian He, Guochao Sun and Zhihui Wang

Plants 2024, 13(7), 936; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13070936 - 23 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1177

Abstract

The GLK gene family plays a crucial role in the regulation of chloroplast development and participates in chlorophyll synthesis. However, the precise mechanism by which GLK contributes to citrus’s chlorophyll synthesis remains elusive. The GLK gene family causes variations in the photosynthetic capacity [...] Read more.

The GLK gene family plays a crucial role in the regulation of chloroplast development and participates in chlorophyll synthesis. However, the precise mechanism by which GLK contributes to citrus’s chlorophyll synthesis remains elusive. The GLK gene family causes variations in the photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll synthesis of different citrus varieties. In this study, we identified tissue-specific members and the key CcGLKs involved in chlorophyll synthesis. A total of thirty CcGLK transcription factors (TFs) were discovered in the citrus genome, distributed across all nine chromosomes. The low occurrence of gene tandem duplication events and intronic variability suggests that intronic variation may be the primary mode of evolution for CcGLK TFs. Tissue-specific expression patterns were observed for various GLK family members; for instance, CcGLK12 and CcGLK15 were specifically expressed in the skin, while CcGLK30 was specific to the ovary, and CcGLK10, CcGLK6, CcGLK21, CcGLK2, CcGLK18, CcGLK9, CcGLK28, and CcGLK8 were specifically expressed in the leaves. CcGLK4, CcGLK5, CcGLK11, CcGLK23, CcGLKl7, CcGLK26, and CcGLK20 may participate in the regulation of the ALA, prochlorophylate, protoporphyrin IX, Mg-protoporphyrin IX, Chl b, T-Chl, MG-ProtoIX ME, and POR contents in citrus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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14 pages, 5847 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Ripening Stages on the Content of the Mineral Elements and Vitamin C of the Fruit Extracts of Solanum Species: S. melanocerasum, S. nigrum, S. villosum, and S. retroflexum

by Jūratė Staveckienė, Brigita Medveckienė, Elvyra Jarienė and Jurgita Kulaitienė

Plants 2024, 13(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030343 - 23 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1885

Abstract

Studies on the mineral and vitamin C contents of different species and ripening stages of Solanum fruits are very limited. The aim of the research was to evaluate the content of the mineral elements and vitamin C of four different Solanum species ( [...] Read more.

Studies on the mineral and vitamin C contents of different species and ripening stages of Solanum fruits are very limited. The aim of the research was to evaluate the content of the mineral elements and vitamin C of four different Solanum species (S. melanocerasum—SM, S. nigrum—SN, S. villosum—SV and S. retroflexum—SR), and three ripening stages. The mineral composition of Solanum fruits was detected using a CEM MARS 6^® (Matthews, NC, USA) digestion system outfitted with a 100 mL Teflon vessel, by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). In total, eleven mineral elements were detected (K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Na, Cu, B, Mn, Al, and Zn). Vitamin C content was assessed by a spectrophotometric method. Depending on the ripening stage/species, content of microelements ranged from 756.48 mg kg⁻¹ DW in SV fruits at ripening stage III, to 211.12 mg kg⁻¹ DW in SM fruits at ripening stage III. The dominant microelement was Fe. The total content of macroelements in Solanum fruits ranged from 26,104.95 mg kg⁻¹ DW in SV fruits at ripening stage II to 67,035.23 mg kg⁻¹ DW in SR fruits at ripening stage I. The dominant macroelement was K. The data from two experimental years showed that the significantly highest content of vitamin C was in SM fruits and ranged from 48.15 mg 100 g⁻¹ at ripening stage I to 45.10 mg 100 g⁻¹ at ripening stage III. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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17 pages, 15970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Regulated Deficit Irrigation Affect Pear Fruit Texture by Modifying the Stone Cells?

by Jesús D. Peco, Hava F. Rapoport, Ana Centeno and David Pérez-López

Plants 2023, 12(23), 4024; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12234024 - 29 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1200

Abstract

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies aim to improve water usage without reducing yield. Generally, irrigation strategy effectiveness is measured as fruit yield, with little consideration of fruit quality. As water deficit and increased plant cell sclerification are often associated, this study explored the [...] Read more.

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies aim to improve water usage without reducing yield. Generally, irrigation strategy effectiveness is measured as fruit yield, with little consideration of fruit quality. As water deficit and increased plant cell sclerification are often associated, this study explored the effect of RDI on pear fruit stone cells, a crucial trait affecting flesh texture. The presence, distribution, and development of pear fruit stone cells under RDI and full irrigation were compared using Pyrus communis L. cv. Barlett trees, employing recently developed microscope image analysis technology. The control treatment was maintained under non-stress conditions, while the RDI treatment received an average of 15% of the control water during the latter part of Stage I fruit development. Observations at the end of Stage I and at harvest revealed no effect on stone cell presence under the RDI strategy tested. The relative area of stone cells within the flesh was greater at Stage I than at harvest, as stone cell expansion occurred early in development, while the (unsclerified) parenchyma cells, a dominant component of the fruit flesh, expanded until harvest. Stone cell cluster density was higher near the fruit core than in the cortex center and exterior. These initial results suggest that well-planned RDI strategies will generally not affect pear fruit stone cell content and, thus, textural quality. Microscope image analysis supported the results from previously used analytical techniques, mainly chemical, while providing a tool for better understanding the process and factors involved in the timing of stone cell differentiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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15 pages, 3892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomic Time-Course Sequencing: Insights into the Cell Wall Macromolecule-Mediated Fruit Dehiscence during Ripening in Camellia oleifera

by Yu Sheng, Xiaohua Yao, Linxiu Liu, Chunlian Yu, Kunxi Wang, Kailiang Wang, Jun Chang, Juanjuan Chen and Yongqing Cao

Plants 2023, 12(18), 3314; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183314 - 20 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1619

Abstract

Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera), one of the world’s four major edible woody oil crops, has been widely planted in southern China’s subtropical region for the extremely high nutritional and health benefits of its seed oil. Timing and synchronization of fruit dehiscence [...] Read more.

Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera), one of the world’s four major edible woody oil crops, has been widely planted in southern China’s subtropical region for the extremely high nutritional and health benefits of its seed oil. Timing and synchronization of fruit dehiscence are critical factors influencing the oil output and quality, as well as the efficiency and cost of harvesting C. oleifera, yet they extremely lack attention. To gain an understanding of the molecular basis underlying the dehiscence of C. oleifera fruit, we sampled pericarp–replum tissues containing dehiscence zones from fruits at different developmental stages and performed time-series transcriptomic sequencing and analysis for the first time. Statistical and GO enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed that drastic transcriptional changes occurred over the last short sampling interval (4 days, 18th–22nd October), which directed functional classifications link to cell wall and cell wall macromolecule activity. WGCNA further showed that factors controlling cell wall modification, including endo-1,3;1,4-beta-D-glucanase, WAT1-like protein 37, LRR receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase, and cellulose synthase A catalytic subunit, were identified as core members of the co-expression network of the last stage highly related modules. Furthermore, in these modules, we also noted genes that were annotated as coding for polygalacturonase and pectinesterase, two pectinases that were expected to be major players in cell separation during dehiscence. qRT-PCR further confirmed the expression profiles of these cell wall modification relating factors, which possessed a special high transcriptional abundance at the final stage. These results suggested the cell wall associated cell separation, one of the essential processes downstream of fruit dehiscence, happened in dehiscing fruit of C. oleifera during ripening. Hydrolases acting on cell wall components are good candidates for signal mediating dehiscence of C. oleifera fruit. In conclusion, our analysis provided insights into the cell wall macromolecule-mediated fruit dehiscence during ripening in C. oleifera. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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18 pages, 3558 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Tomato Fruit Quality and Identification of Volatile Compounds

by Jing Zhang, Sitian Liu, Xiumei Zhu, Youlin Chang, Cheng Wang, Ning Ma, Junwen Wang, Xiaodan Zhang, Jian Lyu and Jianming Xie

Plants 2023, 12(16), 2947; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162947 - 15 Aug 2023

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6011

Abstract

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) are the most valuable vegetable crop in the world. This study identified the morphological characteristics, vitamin content, etc., from 15 tomato varieties in total, that included five each from the three experimental types, during the commercial ripening period. [...] Read more.

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) are the most valuable vegetable crop in the world. This study identified the morphological characteristics, vitamin content, etc., from 15 tomato varieties in total, that included five each from the three experimental types, during the commercial ripening period. The results showed that the hardness with peel and the moisture content of tasty tomatoes were 157.81% and 54.50%, and 3.16% and 1.90% lower than those of regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, respectively, while the soluble solids were 60.25% and 20.79% higher than those of the latter two types. In addition, the contents of vitamin C, lycopene, fructose, glucose, and total organic acids of tasty tomatoes were higher than those of regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. A total of 110 volatile compounds were detected in the 15 tomato varieties. The average volatile compound content of tasty tomatoes was 57.94% higher than that of regular tomatoes and 15.24% higher than that of cherry tomatoes. Twenty of the 34 characteristic tomato aroma components were identified in tasty tomatoes, with fruity and green being the main odor types. Ten characteristic aroma components in regular tomatoes were similar to those of tasty tomatoes; ten types of cherry tomatoes had floral and woody aromas as the main odor types. The flavor sensory score was significantly positively correlated with the content of soluble solids, fructose, glucose, citric acid, fumaric acid, and β-ionone (p < 0.01), and significantly negatively correlated with water content and firmness without peel. Regular, tasty, and cherry tomatoes were separated using principal component analysis, and the quality of tasty tomatoes was found to be better than cherry tomatoes, followed by regular tomatoes. These results provide valuable information for a comprehensive evaluation of fruit quality among tomato varieties to develop consumer guidelines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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13 pages, 3187 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Important Volatile Organic Compounds and Genes Produced by Aroma of Pepper Fruit by HS-SPME-GC/MS and RNA Sequencing

by Yinhui Qiu, Yongqing Li, Lidong Wu, Hang Wei, Jianwei Fu, Weiting Chen, Shuting Lin, Sheng Yang, Rui Zhang, Wei Shang, Chengshu Liao, Shaogui Zeng, Ying Luo and Weiwei Cai

Plants 2023, 12(12), 2246; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122246 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2391

Abstract

Pepper is an important condiment, and its aroma affects its commercial value. In this study, transcriptome sequencing and combined headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes and volatile organic compounds in spicy and non-spicy [...] Read more.

Pepper is an important condiment, and its aroma affects its commercial value. In this study, transcriptome sequencing and combined headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes and volatile organic compounds in spicy and non-spicy pepper fruits. Compared with non-spicy fruits, there were 27 up-regulated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 3353 up-regulated genes (Up-DEGs) in spicy fruits. The results of KEGG enrichment analysis of the Up-DEGs combined with differential VOCs analysis showed that fatty acid biosynthesis and terpenoid biosynthesis may be the main metabolic pathways for aroma differences between non-spicy and spicy pepper fruits. The expression levels of the fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes FAD, LOX1, LOX5, HPL, and ADH and the key terpene synthesis gene TPS in spicy pepper fruits were significantly higher than those in non-spicy pepper fruits. The differential expression of these genes may be the reason for the different aroma. The results can provide reference for the development and utilization of high-aroma pepper germplasm resources and the breeding of new varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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17 pages, 2631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Promoter Variation of the Key Apple Fruit Texture Related Gene MdPG1 and the Upstream Regulation Analysis

by Mengmeng Wu, Zhengrong Luo and Shangyin Cao

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071452 - 26 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2172

Abstract

MdPG1 encoding polygalacturonase in apple (Malus × domestica) is a key gene associated with fruit firmness and texture variations among apple cultivars. However, the causative variants of MdPG1 are still not known. In this study, we identified a SNP^A/C variant [...] Read more.

MdPG1 encoding polygalacturonase in apple (Malus × domestica) is a key gene associated with fruit firmness and texture variations among apple cultivars. However, the causative variants of MdPG1 are still not known. In this study, we identified a SNP^A/C variant within an ERF-binding element located in the promoter region of MdPG1. The promoter containing the ERF-binding element with SNP^A, rather than the SNP^C, could be strongly bound and activated by MdCBF2, a member of the AP2/ERF transcription factor family, as determined by yeast-one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays. We also demonstrated that the presence of a novel long non-coding RNA, lncRNA_PG1, in the promoter of MdPG1 was a causative variant. lncRNA_PG1 was specifically expressed in fruit tissues postharvest. lncRNA_PG1 could reduce promoter activity when it was fused to the promoter of MdPG1 and a tobacco gene encoding Mg-chelatase H subunit (NtCHLH) in transgenic tobacco cells but could not reduce promoter activity when it was supplied in a separate gene construct, indicating a cis-regulatory effect. Our results provide new insights into genetic regulation of MdPG1 allele expression and are also useful for the development of elite apple cultivars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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15 pages, 3344 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Characterization of Fruit Volatiles and Volatile-Related Genes Expression of ‘Benihoppe’ Strawberry and Its Somaclonal Mutant

by Zhuo Zhang, Shuang Yu, Zhihong Zhang, Junxiang Zhang and He Li

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051109 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1761

Abstract

Somaclonal variations in tissue cultures can be used in plant breeding programs. However, it is still unclear whether somaclonal variations and their original parent have differences in volatile compounds, and the candidate genes which result in the differences in volatile compounds also need [...] Read more.

Somaclonal variations in tissue cultures can be used in plant breeding programs. However, it is still unclear whether somaclonal variations and their original parent have differences in volatile compounds, and the candidate genes which result in the differences in volatile compounds also need to be identified. In this study, we utilized the ‘Benihoppe’ strawberry and its somaclonal mutant ‘Xiaobai’, which has different fruit aromas compared with ‘Benihoppe’, as research materials. Using HS-SPME-GC-MS, 113 volatile compounds have been identified in the four developmental periods of ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Xiaobai’. Among them, the quantity and content of some unique esters in ‘Xiaobai’ were much higher than that in ‘Benihoppe’. In addition, we found that the contents and odor activity values of ethyl isovalerate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl pentanoate, linalool, and nerolidol in the red fruit of ‘Xiaobai’ were much higher compared with ‘Benihoppe’, which may result from the significantly increased expression of FaLOX6, FaHPL, FaADH, FaAAT, FaAAT1, FaDXS, FaMCS, and FaHDR in ‘Xiaobai’. However, the content of eugenol in ‘Benihoppe’ was higher than that in ‘Xiaobai’, which may result from the higher expression of FaEGS1a in ‘Benihoppe’ compared with ‘Xiaobai’. The results provide insights into the somaclonal variations that affect the volatile compounds in strawberries and can be used for strawberry quality improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Development and Quality Formation of Horticultural Crops)

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