Aspergillus niger is one of the major pathogenic fungi causing postharvest grape decay. The development of antifungal agents is beneficial to reduce the loss of grapes during storage. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal mechanism of cyclosporin A (CsA). It was indicated that the rot development on grapes caused by A. niger was almost completely inhibited with CsA in vivo at a concentration of 200 mg/L. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes involved in rRNA processing and ribosome biogenesis were down-regulated, whereas those related to β-glucosidases and chitinases were up-regulated. The results implied that CsA may disturb rRNA and ribosome formation to obstruct protein synthesis, accelerate chitin and glucan degradation to destruct cell walls, and ultimately reduce postharvest decay caused by A. niger in grapes. This study evaluated the potential of CsA as a grape preservative and provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying the molecular response in A. niger with the treatment of CsA.
Keywords: Aspergillus niger; antifungal; cyclosporins A–C; postharvest grape; transcriptome.