Postharvest light-induced flavonoids accumulation in mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel is associated with the up-regulation of flavonoids-related and light signal pathway genes

Wencan Zhu; Hongxia Wu; Chengkun Yang; Bin Shi; Bin Zheng; Xiaowei Ma; Kaibing Zhou; Minjie Qian

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1136281

Postharvest light-induced flavonoids accumulation in mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel is associated with the up-regulation of flavonoids-related and light signal pathway genes

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Mar 13:14:1136281. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1136281. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Wencan Zhu¹, Hongxia Wu², Chengkun Yang¹, Bin Shi¹, Bin Zheng², Xiaowei Ma², Kaibing Zhou¹, Minjie Qian¹

Affiliations

¹ Sanya Nanfan Research Institute & Key Laboratory of Quality Regulation of Tropical Horticultural Crop in Hainan Province, School of Horticulture, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
² Key Laboratory of Tropical Fruit Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Zhanjiang, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Flavonoids are important secondary metabolites in plants and light is a crucial environmental factor regulating flavonoids biosynthesis. However, effect of light on the different flavonoids compositions accumulation in mango and the relevant molecular mechanism still need to be clarified.

Methods: In this study, green-mature fruits of red mango cultivar 'Zill' were subjected to postharvest light treatment, and fruit peel color, total soluble solids content, total organic acid, and firmness of flesh were measured. The flavonoids metabolites profile, and the expression of flavonoids-related genes and light signal pathway genes were also analyzed.

Results: Results showed that light treatment promoted the red coloration of fruit peel and increased the total soluble solids content and firmness of flesh. The concentration of flavonols, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, and expression of key flavonoids biosynthetic genes including MiF3H, MiFLS, MiLAR, MiANS, MiUFGT1, and MiUFGT3 were significantly induced by light. The MYBs regulating flavonols and proanthocyanidins, i.e. MiMYB22 and MiMYB12, as well as the key light signal pathway transcription factors (TFs) MiHY5 and MiHYH, were identified in mango. The transcription of MiMYB1, MiMYB12, MiMYB22, MiHY5 and MiHYH was up-regulated by light.

Discussion: Our results provide a postharvest technology to improve mango fruit appearance quality, and are helpful to reveal the molecular mechanism of light-induced flavonoids biosynthesis in mango.

Keywords: flavonoids; gene expression; light treatment; mango; metabolites profile.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 32160678), the Major Science and Technology Plan of Hainan Province (grant number: ZDKJ2021014), Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers: 322RC568; 320QN192), Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund (grant number: ZDYF2022XDNY255), and the Scientific Research Foundation of Hainan University (grant number: KYQD(ZR)20053).