A role for jasmonates in climacteric fruit ripening

The consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables increases every year, and farmers need a low cost novel method to reduce post-harvest loss and preserve the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. This study identifies a method to induce soil bacteria to biosynthesize a nitrile compound that potentially enters the plants tissue and negatively affects climacteric ripening and delays the ripening process at 20-30˚C. This study used soil rich with soil microbes, to delay the ripening of climacteric fruit. The soil was treated with nitrogen, a heavy metal, and ethylene gas. Ethylene induced the soil to delay the ripening of organic bananas and peaches. A prototype transportation container maintained fruit fresh for up to 72 h at 20-30˚C. The fruit retained color, firmness, texture, no bruising and minimal spotting. The soil also prevented fungal infection in all samples. GC-MS analysis suggests ethylene induced the soil microbes to release an acetonitrile compound into the gaseous environment. The nitrile is released in low concentrations, but mature plants (fruits) contain very low levels of indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN) or indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The nitrile may obstruct or modify the mature plants (fruit) late stages development process, thus delay the climacteric ripening process and retarding the physiological and phenotypic effects of fruit ripening. We believe this study may have strong applications for post-harvest biotechnology.

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Genetic dissection of climacteric fruit ripening in a melon population segregating for ripening behavior

Horticulture Research ◽

10.1038/s41438-020-00411-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lara Pereira ◽

Miguel Santo Domingo ◽

Valentino Ruggieri ◽

Jason Argyris ◽

Michael A. Phillips ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruit Ripening ◽

Ethylene Production ◽

Genome Wide Association Study ◽

Recombinant Inbred Lines ◽

Introgression Line ◽

Complex Trait ◽

Chromosome 8 ◽

Genetic Dissection ◽

Climacteric Fruit ◽

A Genome

Abstract Melon is as an alternative model to understand fruit ripening due to the coexistence of climacteric and non-climacteric varieties within the same species, allowing the study of the processes that regulate this complex trait with genetic approaches. We phenotyped a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs), obtained by crossing a climacteric (Védrantais, cantalupensis type) and a non-climcteric variety (Piel de Sapo T111, inodorus type), for traits related to climacteric maturation and ethylene production. Individuals in the RIL population exhibited various combinations of phenotypes that differed in the amount of ethylene produced, the early onset of ethylene production, and other phenotypes associated with ripening. We characterized a major QTL on chromosome 8, ETHQV8.1, which is sufficient to activate climacteric ripening, and other minor QTLs that may modulate the climacteric response. The ETHQV8.1 allele was validated by using two reciprocal introgression line populations generated by crossing Védrantais and Piel de Sapo and analyzing the ETHQV8.1 region in each of the genetic backgrounds. A Genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 211 accessions of the ssp. melo further identified two regions on chromosome 8 associated with the production of aromas, one of these regions overlapping with the 154.1 kb interval containing ETHQV8.1. The ETHQV8.1 region contains several candidate genes that may be related to fruit ripening. This work sheds light into the regulation mechanisms of a complex trait such as fruit ripening.

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A Non-Climacteric Fruit Gene CaMADS-RIN Regulates Fruit Ripening and Ethylene Biosynthesis in Climacteric Fruit

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0095559 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e95559 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Tingting Dong ◽

Guoping Chen ◽

Shibing Tian ◽

Qiaoli Xie ◽

Wencheng Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruit Ripening ◽

Ethylene Biosynthesis ◽

Climacteric Fruit

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Identification of a Gene Encoding Glutamate Decarboxylase Involved in the Postharvest Fruit Ripening Process in Banana

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.49.8.1056 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (8) ◽

pp. 1056-1060 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Wei Hu ◽

Ju-Hua Liu ◽

Xiao-Ying Yang ◽

Jian-Bin Zhang ◽

Cai-Hong Jia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruit Ripening ◽

Ethylene Production ◽

Glutamate Decarboxylase ◽

Ethylene Biosynthesis ◽

Gene Encoding ◽

Ripening Process ◽

Climacteric Fruit ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Postharvest Ripening ◽

Exogenous Ethylene

The banana, a typical climacteric fruit, undergoes a postharvest ripening process followed by a burst in ethylene production that signals the beginning of the climacteric period. Postharvest ripening plays an important role in improving the quality of the fruit as well as limiting its shelf life. To investigate the role of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in climacteric ethylene biosynthesis and fruit ripening in postharvest banana, a GAD gene was isolated from banana, designated MuGAD. Coincidently with climacteric ethylene production, MuGAD expression as well as the expression of the genes encoding the Musa 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (MaACS1) and Musa 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (MaACO1) greatly increased during natural ripening and in ethylene-treated banana. Moreover, ethylene biosynthesis, ripening progress, and MuGAD, MaACS1, and MaACO1 expression were enhanced by exogenous ethylene application and inhibited by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Taken together, our results suggested that MuGAD is involved in the fruit ripening process in postharvest banana.

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Effect of 1-MCP on Apple Fruit Ripening and Volatile Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.3.536d ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 536D-536 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J. Song ◽

M.S. Tian ◽

D.R. Dilley ◽

R.M. Beaudry

Keyword(s):

Fruit Ripening ◽

Ethylene Production ◽

Quality Criterion ◽

Apple Fruit ◽

Climacteric Fruit ◽

Aroma Production ◽

Ethylene Action ◽

Important Quality ◽

The Relationship ◽

Volatile Production

Aroma production by apple fruit is an important quality criterion and has been found to be a fruit-ripening-related process. 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an effective ethylene action inhibitor, was used to study the relationship between volatile biosynthesis, ethylene action, and fruit ripening in `Golden Delicious' apple fruit. Pre-climacteric fruit were treated with 1-MCP vapors at a concentration of 500 parts per billion (v/v) at 23°C. 1-MCP prevented the climacteric rise of ethylene production, respiration, and volatile production, while untreated fruits developed typical climacteric changes in ethylene production, respiration and volatile production. Applying ethylene at 15–20 parts per million for 24 hr 11 days after 1-MCP treatment could not overcome the effect of 1-MCP, suggesting that 1-MCP inhibited ethylene action irreversibly. Interestingly, when 1-MCP-treated tissue were fed butanol and butyric acid, they converted these compounds to their corresponding esters butylacetate and butylbutanoate. Thus precursor supply is apparently limiting and appears to be ethylene-dependent.

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Brassinosteroids Suppress Ethylene Biosynthesis via Transcription Factor BZR1 in Pear and Apple Fruit

10.1101/2020.02.27.968800 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yinglin Ji ◽

Yi Qu ◽

Zhongyu Jiang ◽

Xin Su ◽

Pengtao Yue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Fruit Ripening ◽

Ethylene Production ◽

Plant Hormone ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Acc Synthase ◽

Ethylene Biosynthesis ◽

Apple Fruit ◽

Pear Fruit ◽

Climacteric Fruit

ABSTRACTThe plant hormone ethylene is important for the ripening of climacteric fruit, such as pear (Pyrus ussuriensis), and the brassinosteroid (BR) class of phytohormones affects ethylene biosynthesis during ripening, although via an unknown molecular mechanism. Here, we observed that exogenous BR treatment suppressed ethylene production during pear fruit ripening, and that the expression of the transcription factor PuBZR1 was enhanced by epibrassinolide (EBR) treatment during pear fruit ripening. PuBZR1 was shown to interact with PuACO1, which converts 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene, and suppress its activity. We also observed that BR-activated PuBZR1 bound to the promoters of PuACO1 and of PuACS1a, which encodes ACC synthase, and directly suppressed their transcription. Moreover, PuBZR1 suppressed the expression of transcription factor PuERF2 by binding its promoter, and PuERF2 bound to the promoters of PuACO1 and PuACS1a. We concluded that PuBZR1 indirectly suppresses the transcription of PuACO1 and PuACS1a through its regulation of PuERF2. Ethylene production and the expression profiles of the corresponding apple (Malus domestica) homologs showed similar changes following EBR treatment. Together, these results suggest that BR-activated BZR1 suppresses ACO1 activity and the expression of ACO1 and ACS1a, thereby reducing ethylene production during pear and apple fruit ripening. This likely represents a conserved mechanism by which exogenous BR suppresses ethylene biosynthesis during climacteric fruit ripening.One-sentence summaryBR-activated BZR1 suppresses ACO1 activity and expression of ACO1 and ACS1a, which encode two ethylene biosynthesis enzymes, thereby reducing ethylene production during pear and apple fruit ripening.

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Nectarine Fruit Ripening and Quality Assessed Using the Index of Absorbance Difference (IAD)

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2013/242461 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

E. Bonora ◽

D. Stefanelli ◽

G. Costa

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Fruit Ripening ◽

Solid Content ◽

Training System ◽

Fruit Growth ◽

Soluble Solid Content ◽

Training Systems ◽

Climacteric Fruit ◽

Soluble Solid ◽

Absorbance Difference

Consistency of fruit quality is extremely important in horticulture. Fruit growth and quality in nectarine are affected by fruit position in the canopy, related to the tree shape. The “open shaped” training systems, such as Tatura Trellis, improve fruit growth and quality. The Index of Absorbance Difference (IAD) is a new marker that characterizes climacteric fruit during ripening. A study on fruit ripening was performed by using theIADon nectarine to monitor fruit maturity stages of two cultivars trained as Tatura Trellis in Victoria, Australia. Fruit of cv “Summer Flare 34” (“SF34”) grown in different positions on the tree showed high ripening homogeneity. Fruit harvested at a similar ripening stage showed fruit firmness and soluble solid content homogeneity. Fruits from hand-thinned variety “Summer Flare 26” (“SF26”) were larger in size, had advanced ripening, and showed greater homogeneity. For “SF26”, a weak correlation betweenIADand SSC was observed. The experiment showed that the Tatura Trellis training system is characterized by high homogeneity of nectarine fruit when coupled with a proper management of fruit density. It also confirmed that theIADcould be used as new nondestructive maturity index for nectarine fruit quality assessment in the field.

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Identification of EIL and ERF Genes Related to Fruit Ripening in Peach

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21082846 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 2846 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hui Zhou ◽

Lei Zhao ◽

Qiurui Yang ◽

Mohamed Hamdy Amar ◽

Collins Ogutu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruit Ripening ◽

Prunus Persica ◽

Gene Families ◽

Ethylene Biosynthesis ◽

Ethylene Response Factor ◽

Climacteric Fruit ◽

Ethylene Response ◽

Ear Motif ◽

Softening Process ◽

Insight Into

Peach (Prunus persica) is a climacteric fruit with a relatively short shelf life due to its fast ripening or softening process. Here, we report the association of gene families encoding ethylene insensitive-3 like (EIL) and ethylene response factor (ERF) with fruit ripening in peach. In total, 3 PpEILs and 12 PpERFs were highly expressed in fruit, with the majority showing a peak of expression at different stages. All three EILs could activate ethylene biosynthesis genes PpACS1 and PpACO1. One out of the 12 PpERFs, termed PpERF.E2, is a homolog of ripening-associated ERFs in tomato, with a consistently high expression throughout fruit development and an ability to activate PpACS1 and PpACO1. Additionally, four subgroup F PpERFs harboring the EAR repressive motif were able to repress the PpACO1 promoter but could also activate the PpACS1 promoter. Promoter deletion assay revealed that PpEILs and PpERFs could participate in transcriptional regulation of PpACS1 through either direct or indirect interaction with various cis-elements. Taken together, these results suggested that all three PpEILs and PpERF.E2 are candidates involved in ethylene biosynthesis, and EAR motif-containing PpERFs may function as activator or repressor of ethylene biosynthesis genes in peach. Our study provides an insight into the roles of EILs and ERFs in the fruit ripening process.

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