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Metabolic changes in pomegranate fruit skin following cold storage promote chilling injury of the peel.

ABSTRACT: Pomegranate cv. 'Wonderful' fruit are susceptible to chilling injuries of the peel (CIp) when stored at 7 °C in modified-atmosphere bags for more than 3 months. The damage, manifested as superficial browning, is restricted to the fruit skin, i.e., the outer colored layer of the peel. To characterize possible causes of CIp development, fruit were collected at early harvest-when the premature fruit are poorly colored and susceptible to CIp development, and at late harvest-when mature fruit have fully red skin and less susceptibility to CIp. Skin samples were collected on day of harvest and at different time points during storage. Anatomical study of skin with CIp disorder showed a broken cuticle layer with underlying degenerated cells. A high total phenol content, which is associated with high antioxidant capacity, was not sufficient to prevent the development of CIp in the premature fruit. The concentration of punicalagin was the same for premature and mature skin at harvest and during storage, and therefore not associated with CIp development in the premature fruit skin. Furthermore, the expression of antioxidant-related genes CAT2, SOD and GR2 was similar for both premature and mature fruit skin. Poor pigmentation of the premature fruit skin and chilling-induced downregulation of key anthocyanin-biosynthesis genes were associated with CIp development. High total phenol concentration combined with high expression of the gene encoding PPO was also associated with CIp; however, high expression ratio of PAL to PPO was found in mature skin, and may be associated with reduced CIp disorder. The results presented suggest future possibilities for controlling the CIp phenomenon.

SUBMITTER: Baghel RS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8080622 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Zucchini fruit is susceptible to chilling injury (CI), but the response to low storage temperature is cultivar dependent. Previous reports about the response of zucchini fruit to chilling storage have been focused on the physiology and biochemistry of this process, with little information about the molecular mechanisms underlying it. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of transcriptomic changes that take place after cold storage in zucchini fruit of two commercial cultivars with contrasting response to chilling stress.RNA-Seq analysis was conducted in exocarp of fruit at harvest and after 14 days of storage at 4 and 20 °C. Differential expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained comparing fruit stored at 4 °C with their control at 20 °C, and then specific and common up and down-regulated DEGs of each cultivar were identified. Functional analysis of these DEGs identified similarities between the response of zucchini fruit to low temperature and other stresses, with an important number of GO terms related to biotic and abiotic stresses overrepresented in both cultivars. This study also revealed several molecular mechanisms that could be related to chilling tolerance, since they were up-regulated in cv. Natura (CI tolerant) or down-regulated in cv. Sinatra (CI sensitive). These mechanisms were mainly those related to carbohydrate and energy metabolism, transcription, signal transduction, and protein transport and degradation. Among DEGs belonging to these pathways, we selected candidate genes that could regulate or promote chilling tolerance in zucchini fruit including the transcription factors MYB76-like, ZAT10-like, DELLA protein GAIP, and AP2/ERF domain-containing protein.This study provides a broader understanding of the important mechanisms and processes related to coping with low temperature stress in zucchini fruit and allowed the identification of some candidate genes that may be involved in the acquisition of chilling tolerance in this crop. These genes will be the basis of future studies aimed to identify markers involved in cold tolerance and aid in zucchini breeding programs.

Project description:Harvested fruits are still living organs and respond to environmental stimuli. Low temperature storage is effective in extending life of harvested fruit, but it may also cause chilling injury. Cold acclimation has been shown to induce chilling tolerance in plants, but what proteomic changes caused by cold acclimation are related to defense against chilling stress remains largely unclear. Here, 3 d of pre-storage cold acclimation (PsCA) at 10°C reduced chilling injury and secondary disease severity in cucumber stored at 5°C by 51 and 94%, respectively, compared with the control which was directly stored at 5°C. Proteomic analysis of cucumber peel identified 21 significant differentially-accumulated proteins (SDAPs) right after PsCA treatment and 23 after the following cold storage (PsCA+CS). These proteins are mainly related to stress response and defense (SRD), energy metabolism, protein metabolism, signal transduction, primary metabolism, and transcription. The SRD proteins, which made up 37% of the 21 and 47% of the 23, respectively, represented the largest class of SDAPs, and all but one protein were up-regulated, suggesting accumulation of proteins involved in defense response is central feature of proteomic profile changes brought about by PsCA. In fruit just after PsCA treatment, the identified SDAPs are related to responses to various stresses, including chilling, salt stress, dehydration, fungi, bacteria, insects, and DNA damage. However, after prolonged cold storage, the targeted proteins in acclimated fruit were narrowed down in scope to those involved in defense against chilling and pathogens. The change patterns at the transcription level of the majority of the up-regulated differentially-accumulated proteins were highly consistent with those at protein level. Taken all, the results suggest that the short-time cold acclimation initiated comprehensive defense responses in cucumber fruit at first, while the long term storage thereafter altered the responses more specifically to chilling. These findings add to the understanding of plants' molecular responses to cold acclimation.

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Metabolic changes in pomegranate fruit skin following cold storage promote chilling injury of the peel.

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