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Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality

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: 28 March 2024 | Viewed by 9805

Special Issue Editor

College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: fruit ripening; fruit quality formation; signal transduction; environmental signals; hormonal signals; strawberry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits constitute an important part of the human diet, and fruit quality is a major concern for consumers. The formation of fruit quality is tightly coupled with fruit ripening, during which dramatic changes occur in a series of physiological and biochemical metabolisms, such as those related to color, sugar, acid, aroma, cell wall, etc. These metabolic events are essential and are determined by key enzymes, which are transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally regulated by cellular signaling systems. Phytohormones and environmental factors act as internal and external cues, triggering cellular signaling systems and controlling fruit quality formation.

In this Special Issue of IJMS, we will focus on the molecular identification and characterization of the key enzymes implicated in fruit quality associated-metabolisms, the transcription factors transcriptionally controlling the key enzymes, and, particularly, the signaling systems determining fruit quality formation. Research papers, up-to-date reviews, and perspective articles are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Wensuo Jia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • fruit ripening
  • fruit quality formation
  • signal transduction
  • hormones
  • environmental signals
  • transcription factors
  • key enzymes
  • metabolism

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2367 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Study on the Formation Mechanism of Malformed Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Fruits in Southern China Using Transcriptome and Metabolome Data
by Wangshu Zhang, Yue Xu, Luyang Jing, Baoxin Jiang, Qinghao Wang and Yuxi Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010153 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 561
Abstract
Gibberellin (GA) is an important plant hormone that is involved in various physiological processes during plant development. Sweet cherries planted in southern China have always encountered difficulty in bearing fruit. In recent years, gibberellin has successfully solved this problem, but there has also [...] Read more.
Gibberellin (GA) is an important plant hormone that is involved in various physiological processes during plant development. Sweet cherries planted in southern China have always encountered difficulty in bearing fruit. In recent years, gibberellin has successfully solved this problem, but there has also been an increase in malformed fruits. This study mainly explores the mechanism of malformed fruit formation in sweet cherries. By analyzing the synthesis pathway of gibberellin using metabolomics and transcriptomics, the relationship between gibberellin and the formation mechanism of deformed fruit was preliminarily determined. The results showed that the content of GA3 in malformed fruits was significantly higher than in normal fruits. The differentially expressed genes in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were mainly enriched in pathways such as “plant hormone signal transduction”, “diterpenoid biosynthesis”, and “carotenoid biosynthesis”. Using Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, the gibberellin hydrolase gene GA2ox and gibberellin synthase genes GA20ox and GA3ox were found to be significantly up-regulated. Therefore, we speculate that the formation of malformed fruits in sweet cherries may be related to the accumulation of GA3. This lays the foundation for further research on the mechanism of malformed sweet cherry fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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15 pages, 2955 KiB  
Article
A Novel R2R3–MYB Transcription Factor FaMYB10-like Promotes Light-Induced Anthocyanin Accumulation in Cultivated Strawberry
by Yiping Wang, Yongqiang Liu, Lianxi Zhang, Li Tang, Shiqiong Xu, Zikun Wang, Yunting Zhang, Yuanxiu Lin, Yan Wang, Mengyao Li, Yong Zhang, Ya Luo, Qing Chen and Haoru Tang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16561; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316561 - 21 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 767
Abstract
Anthocyanins widely accumulate in the vegetative and reproductive tissues of strawberries and play an important role in stress resistance and fruit quality. Compared with other fruits, little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry vegetative tissues. In this study, [...] Read more.
Anthocyanins widely accumulate in the vegetative and reproductive tissues of strawberries and play an important role in stress resistance and fruit quality. Compared with other fruits, little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry vegetative tissues. In this study, we revealed an R2R3–MYB transcription factor, FaMYB10-like (FaMYB10L), which positively regulated anthocyanin accumulation and was induced by light in the petiole and runner of cultivated strawberry. FaMYB10L is a homologue of FveMYB10-like and a nuclear localization protein. Transient overexpression of FaMYB10L in a white fruit strawberry variety (myb10 mutant) rescued fruit pigmentation, and further qR–PCR analysis revealed that FaMYB10L upregulated the expression levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes and transport gene. A dual luciferase assay showed that FaMYB10L could activate the anthocyanin transport gene FaRAP. Anthocyanin accumulation was observed in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli, and light treatment enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling indicated that the DEGs involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and induced by light were enriched in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli. In addition, yeast two-hybrid assays and luciferase complementation assays indicated that FaMYB10L could interact with bHLH3. These findings enriched the light-involved regulatory network of anthocyanin metabolism in cultivated strawberries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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18 pages, 3076 KiB  
Article
Proteins from Blackberry Seeds: Extraction, Osborne Isolate, Characteristics, Functional Properties, and Bioactivities
by Shaoyi Wang, Fengyi Zhao, Wenlong Wu, Lianfei Lyu and Weilin Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(20), 15371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015371 - 19 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1137
Abstract
Blackberry fruit contains high levels of nutrients and phenolic compounds. Blackberry pomace accounts for 20~30% of its whole fruit during processing and is generally treated as fertilizer. Blackberry pomace has many seeds that contain carbohydrates, polyphenols, flavonoids, pectin, protein, and other bioactive nutrients. [...] Read more.
Blackberry fruit contains high levels of nutrients and phenolic compounds. Blackberry pomace accounts for 20~30% of its whole fruit during processing and is generally treated as fertilizer. Blackberry pomace has many seeds that contain carbohydrates, polyphenols, flavonoids, pectin, protein, and other bioactive nutrients. However, its functional properties and seed protein compositions have not been reported. We used a single-factor experiment, response surface, and Osborne isolate method to extract protein isolate, albumin, globulin, glutelin, and prolamin from blackberry seeds for the first time and evaluated their characteristics and functional properties. Glutelin and protein isolate showed good water-holding capacity, emulsification, and foaming capacity, while albumin and globulin showed good oil-holding capacity and thermal stability. They were found to have good antioxidant activities that might be good DPPH free radical scavengers, especially prolamin, which has the lowest IC50 value (15.76 μg/mL). Moreover, globulin had the lowest IC50 value of 5.03 μg/mL against Hela cells, 31.82 μg/mL against HepG2 cells, and 77.81 μg/mL against MCF-7 cells and a high selectivity index (SI), which suggested globulin had better anti-cervical, antihepatoma, and anti-breast activity but relatively low cytotoxicity. These seed proteins may have great prospects for the development and application of food and drugs in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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19 pages, 6925 KiB  
Article
Identification of HuSWEET Family in Pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) and Key Roles of HuSWEET12a and HuSWEET13d in Sugar Accumulation
by Rui Jiang, Liangfang Wu, Jianmei Zeng, Kamran Shah, Rong Zhang, Guibing Hu, Yonghua Qin and Zhike Zhang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(16), 12882; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612882 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 836
Abstract
The sugar composition and content of fruit have a significant impact on their flavor and taste. In pitaya, or dragon fruit, sweetness is a crucial determinant of fruit taste and consumer preference. The sugars will eventually be exported transporters (SWEETs), a novel group [...] Read more.
The sugar composition and content of fruit have a significant impact on their flavor and taste. In pitaya, or dragon fruit, sweetness is a crucial determinant of fruit taste and consumer preference. The sugars will eventually be exported transporters (SWEETs), a novel group of sugar transporters that have various physiological functions, including phloem loading, seed filling, nectar secretion, and fruit development. However, the role of SWEETs in sugar accumulation in pitaya fruit is not yet clear. Here, we identified 19 potential members (HuSWEET genes) of the SWEET family in pitaya and analyzed their conserved motifs, physiochemical characteristics, chromosomal distribution, gene structure, and phylogenetic relationship. Seven highly conserved α-helical transmembrane domains (7-TMs) were found, and the HuSWEET proteins can be divided into three clades based on the phylogenetic analysis. Interestingly, we found two HuSWEET genes, HuSWEET12a and HuSWEET13d, that showed strong preferential expressions in fruits and an upward trend during fruit maturation, suggesting they have key roles in sugar accumulation in pitaya. This can be further roughly demonstrated by the fact that transgenic tomato plants overexpressing HuSWEET12a/13d accumulated high levels of sugar in the mature fruit. Together, our result provides new insights into the regulation of sugar accumulation by SWEET family genes in pitaya fruit, which also set a crucial basis for the further functional study of the HuSWEETs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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17 pages, 5739 KiB  
Article
Combined Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Unveil the Molecular Mechanisms of Fruit Acidity Variation in Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.)
by Yonghua Jiang, Yingwei Qi, Xilong Chen, Qian Yan, Jiezhen Chen, Hailun Liu, Fachao Shi, Yingjie Wen, Changhe Cai and Liangxi Ou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 1871; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24031871 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2013
Abstract
Fruit acidity determines the organoleptic quality and nutritive value of most fruits. In litchi, although the organic acid composition of pulps is known, the molecular mechanisms and genes underlying variation in fruit acidity remain elusive. Herein, developing pulps of two contrasting litchi varieties, [...] Read more.
Fruit acidity determines the organoleptic quality and nutritive value of most fruits. In litchi, although the organic acid composition of pulps is known, the molecular mechanisms and genes underlying variation in fruit acidity remain elusive. Herein, developing pulps of two contrasting litchi varieties, Huaizhi (HZ, low-acidity) and Boye_No.8 (B8, high-acidity), were subjected to metabolomics and transcriptomics, and the dynamic metabolome and transcriptional changes were determined. Measurements revealed that the dominant acidity-related organic acid in litchi pulps is malate, followed in low levels by citrate and tartrate. Variation in litchi pulps’ acidity is mainly associated with significant differences in malate and citrate metabolisms during fruit development. Malic acid content decreased by 91.43% and 72.28% during fruit ripening in HZ and B8, respectively. The content of citric acid increased significantly in B8, while in HZ it was reduced considerably. Differentially accumulated metabolites and differentially expressed genes analyses unveiled fumarate, succinate, 2-oxoglutarate, GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), phosphoenolpyruvate, and citrate metabolisms as the key driving pathways of litchi fruits’ acidity variation. The drastic malate and citrate degradation in HZ was linked to higher induction of fumarate and GABA biosynthesis, respectively. Thirty candidate genes, including three key genes (LITCHI026501.m2, fumarase; LITCHI020148.m5, glutamate decarboxylase; and LITCHI003343.m3, glutamate dehydrogenase), were identified for functional studies toward genetic modulation of litchi fruit acidity. Our findings provide insights into the molecular basis of acidity variation in litchi and provide valuable resources for fruit quality improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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19 pages, 6686 KiB  
Article
Effects of Pollen Sources on Fruit Set and Fruit Characteristics of ‘Fengtangli’ Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) Based on Microscopic and Transcriptomic Analysis
by Lijun Deng, Tie Wang, Juan Hu, Xinxia Yang, Yuan Yao, Zhenghua Jin, Zehao Huang, Guochao Sun, Bo Xiong, Ling Liao and Zhihui Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 12959; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232112959 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1762
Abstract
Adequate yield and fruit quality are required in commercial plum production. The pollen source has been shown to influence fruit set and fruit characteristics. In this study, ‘Siyueli’, ‘Fenghuangli’ and ‘Yinhongli’ were used as pollinizers of ‘Fengtangli’ plum. Additionally, self-pollination, mixed pollination, and [...] Read more.
Adequate yield and fruit quality are required in commercial plum production. The pollen source has been shown to influence fruit set and fruit characteristics. In this study, ‘Siyueli’, ‘Fenghuangli’ and ‘Yinhongli’ were used as pollinizers of ‘Fengtangli’ plum. Additionally, self-pollination, mixed pollination, and open pollination were performed. We characterized the differences in pollen tube growth, fruit set and fruit quality among pollination combinations. ‘Fengtangli’ flowers pollinated by ‘Fenghuangli’ had more pistils with pollen tubes penetrating the ovary and the highest fruit set rate, while the lowest fruit set rate was obtained from self-pollination. In self-pollinated flowers, 33% of pistils had at least one pollen tube reaching the ovary, implying that ‘Fengtangli’ is partially self-compatible. Pollen sources affected ‘Fengtangli’ fruit size, weight, pulp thickness, soluble solids, and sugar content. Transcriptome analysis of ‘Siyueli’-pollinated and ‘Yinhongli’-pollinated fruits revealed 2762 and 1018 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the response to different pollen sources. DEGs were enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and MAPK signaling pathways. Our findings provide a reference for the selection of suitable pollinizers for ‘Fengtangli’ plum and promote future research on the metaxenia effect at the molecular level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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Review

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19 pages, 726 KiB  
Review
Cell Wall Integrity Signaling in Fruit Ripening
by Kenan Jia, Wei Wang, Qing Zhang and Wensuo Jia
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 4054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24044054 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2108
Abstract
Plant cell walls are essential structures for plant growth and development as well as plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Thus, plants have evolved signaling mechanisms to monitor the changes in the cell wall structure, triggering compensatory changes to sustain cell wall integrity (CWI). [...] Read more.
Plant cell walls are essential structures for plant growth and development as well as plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Thus, plants have evolved signaling mechanisms to monitor the changes in the cell wall structure, triggering compensatory changes to sustain cell wall integrity (CWI). CWI signaling can be initiated in response to environmental and developmental signals. However, while environmental stress-associated CWI signaling has been extensively studied and reviewed, less attention has been paid to CWI signaling in relation to plant growth and development under normal conditions. Fleshy fruit development and ripening is a unique process in which dramatic alternations occur in cell wall architecture. Emerging evidence suggests that CWI signaling plays a pivotal role in fruit ripening. In this review, we summarize and discuss the CWI signaling in relation to fruit ripening, which will include cell wall fragment signaling, calcium signaling, and NO signaling, as well as Receptor-Like Protein Kinase (RLKs) signaling with an emphasis on the signaling of FERONIA and THESEUS, two members of RLKs that may act as potential CWI sensors in the modulation of hormonal signal origination and transduction in fruit development and ripening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation, Regulation and Affecting Factors of Fruit Quality)
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