Gaseous factors affect post-harvest physiological processes in horticultural crops, including ornamental flowers. However, the molecular responses of cut flowers to the low-oxygen conditions associated with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) have not yet been elucidated. Here, we show that storage of cut carnation flowers in a sealed polypropylene bag decreased the oxygen concentration in the bag to 3-5% and slowed flower opening. The vase life of carnation flowers after storage for seven days under MAP conditions was comparable to that without storage and was improved by the application of a commercial-quality preservative. The adenylate energy charge (AEC) was maintained at high levels in petals from florets stored under MAP conditions. This was accompanied by the upregulation of four hypoxia-related genes, among which the HYPOXIA-RESPONSIVE ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR and PHYTOGLOBIN genes (DcERF19 and DcPGB1) were newly identified. These results suggest that hypoxia-responsive genes contribute to the maintenance of the energy status in carnation flowers stored under MAP conditions, making this gas-controlling technique potentially effective for maintaining cut flower quality without cooling.
Keywords: AP2/ERF superfamily; adenylate energy charge; carnation; hypoxia-responsive genes; modified atmosphere packaging.