Mechanisms of the response of apple fruit to postharvest compression damage analyzed by integrated transcriptome and metabolome

Zhichao Yang; Menghua Lin; Xiangzheng Yang; Changqing Zhu; Di Wu; Kunsong Chen

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100972

Mechanisms of the response of apple fruit to postharvest compression damage analyzed by integrated transcriptome and metabolome

Food Chem X. 2023 Oct 31:20:100972. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100972. eCollection 2023 Dec 30.

Authors

Zhichao Yang¹, Menghua Lin², Xiangzheng Yang^{2

3}, Changqing Zhu², Di Wu^{1

2

4}, Kunsong Chen²

Affiliations

¹ College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
² College of Agriculture and Biotechnology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Integrative Biology/ Key Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Growth and Development), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
³ Jinan Fruit Research Institute, All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, Jinan 250014, PR China.
⁴ Zhejiang University Zhongyuan Institute, Zhengzhou 450000, PR China.

Abstract

Apple fruit is susceptible to compression damage within the postharvest supply chain given its thin peels and brittle texture, which can result in decay and deterioration and have a substantial impact on its marketability and competitiveness. Thorough bioinformatics investigations are lacking on postharvest compression damage stress-induced alterations in genes and metabolic regulatory networks in fruits. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of both the transcriptome and metabolome was conducted on 'Red Fuji' apples experiencing compression-induced damage. During the storage after damage has occurred, the gene expression of MdOFUT19, MdWRKY48, MdCBP60E, MdCYP450 and MdSM-like of the damaged apples was consistently higher than that of the control group. The damaged apples also had higher contents of some metabolites such as procyanidin A1, Dl-2-Aminooctanoic acid, 5-O-p-Coumaroyl shikimic acid and 5,7-Dihydroxy-3',4',5'-trimethoxyflavone. Analysis of genes and metabolites with distinct expressions on the common annotation pathway suggested that the fruit may respond to compression stress by promoting volatile ester and lignin synthesis. The above results can deepen the comprehension of the response mechanisms in apple fruits undergoing compression-induced damage.

Keywords: Apple fruit; Compression damage; Metabolome; Resistance mechanisms; Transcriptome.