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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2026

Genome-wide screening and functional analysis of protein glycosylation-related genes involved in tomato fruit ripening.

Protein glycosylation, an essential co- and post-translational modification, plays critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, its functional role in tomato fruit ripening has not been extensively investigated. Here, key protein glycosylation-related genes involved in tomato fruit ripening were identified by genome-wide screen and subsequently functional characterization. First, a dataset comprising 242 glycosylation-related proteins was established based on Gene Ontology annotations in tomato, combined with sequence homology to protein glycosylation-related proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana and Homo sapiens. Then, Subsequently, 28 genes encoding highly expressed glycosylation-related proteins (RPKM > 30) at the breaker (BR) stage were selected for functional screening, and subsequently 6 genes were identified as regulators of fruit ripening by method of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Among them, Solyc03g098600 (STT3B), Solyc01g109410 (OST48), Solyc04g082670 (RPN1), and Solyc08g076460 (DAD1) functioned as positive regulators of tomato fruit ripening, whereas Solyc04g005340 (UAM2) and Solyc08g075340 (XEG113), acted as negative regulators. The expression of these genes responded dynamically to multiple ripening-related cues, including temperature, light, ethylene, and transcription factors. Furthermore, silencing of these genes individually affected the expression of genes involved in fruit ripening, including ethylene biosynthesis genes (ACS2, ACS4, ACO1, and ACO3), ripening-associated transcription factors (RIN, NOR, NOR-LIKE1, FUL1, and FUL2), and the key gene (PSY1) of lycopene biosynthesis pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that protein glycosylation plays an important role in tomato fruit ripening by modulating ethylene signaling, ripening-associated transcriptional regulation, and lycopene biosynthesis.

Fruit ripening↗
PubMed2025

A SlEIN2-centered epigenetic network equilibrates fruit ripening and innate immunity in tomato.

Ethylene and DNA/RNA methylation serve as essential factors in controlling fruit ripening. In tomato, the mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase SlALKBH2 regulates mRNA stability of the DNA 5-methylcytosine demethylase gene SlDML2 via modulating m6A modifications. However, the interplay between ethylene and these epigenetic marks remains unclear. Here, we show that SlDML2 expression is significantly inhibited in slein2 fruits, but remains unchanged in the high-order sleil mutant (sleil1 sleil2 sleil3/SlEIL3 sleil4 and sleil1 sleil2/SlEIL2 sleil3 sleil4) fruits, indicative of post-transcriptional regulation of SlDML2 expression by SlEIN2, a core ethylene signaling component acting upstream of the master transcription factors SlEILs. Interestingly, SlEIN2 preferentially regulates the asymmetric CHH methylation in promoters of several key ripening regulator genes. Mechanistically, SlEIN2 physically interacts with SlALKBH2, which promotes SlDML2 expression in a SlEIN2-dependent manner. Furthermore, SlAGO4A and SlAGO4B, components of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway, were upregulated in slein2 fruits. Silencing SlAGO4A/B in wild-type fruit caused precocious ripening with necrosis, indicative of hyperimmunity. Conversely, SlAGO4A/B silencing in slein2 markedly delayed this hyperimmunity. Taken together, our study reveals that ethylene, beyond transcriptional regulation, employs an elaborate epigenetic machinery mediated by the SlAGO4A/B-SlEIN2-SlALKBH2 module to balance fruit ripening and innate immunity.

Solanum lycopersicum↗
PubMed2026

Genome-wide identification and characterization of 1-amino-cyclopropane-1- carboxylate synthase (ACS) gene family in Carica papaya and expression insights in response to hormone stress.

ACC-synthase (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase), also known as the ACS gene, plays a pivotal role in ethylene production, which is of great importance in the fruit ripening process for producing saleable yield (marketable fruit). The ACS gene family presumably controls stress responses, plant growth and development, and particularly fruit ripening. Computational biology was used as an essential tool to identify seven ACS genes in Carica papaya (red hermaphrodite) using an RNA-seq database (NCBI GEO). Further, the phylogenetic relationships of ACS genes determined gene family resemblance in the genomes of Hordeum vulgare, Musa acuminata, C. papaya, and Arabidopsis thaliana; therefore, the identified gene families were further classified into four distinct clades (Type-I, Type-II, Type-III, and Type-IV) in alignment with the well-established Arabidopsis classification. Moreover, encompassing gene structure, domain motifs, cis-element phylogenetic profiling, synteny, and transcriptomic profiling unveiled latent structural and functional attributes within CpACS genes. Through segmental duplication of CpACS, insights into evolutionary duplication events were predicted. The paralogous behavior of ACS genes in C. papaya and a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis demonstrated both up- and down-regulation patterns in response to ethylene treatment at different time points during the fruit ripening process, using the papaya manual handbook V2 (2021). Gene expression showed upregulation of two essential CpACS genes, CpACS5 and CpACS6. RT-qPCR validates the expression of these important genes during fruit ripening. However, one gene, CpACS7, is expressed in the later stages of fruit development. Our results demonstrated novel avenues for understanding the expression pathways of the ACS gene family in red hermaphrodite papaya, and most of these genes were linked to regulating various abiotic stresses, plant growth, and fruit development.

Carica↗
PubMed1978

Changes in the lipid composition of ripening banana fruits and evidence for an associated increase in cell membrane permeability.

The content of total lipid in banana fruit pulp tissue remained constant during the climacteric rise induced by applied ethylene. The relative proportions of neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid did not change. However, the fatty acid composition of the lipid did change during ripening. This change was confined largely to the phospholipid fraction, in which there was an increase in the proportion of linolenic acid and a decrease in the proportion of linoleic acid. The net result was an increase in total unsaturation of the fatty acids in the phospholipid fraction. Measurements of spin label motion in liposomes prepared from banana phospholipids showed that the motion and fluidity of bilayer lipids increased during ripening of the fruit from which the liposomes were prepared, probably as a result of increased lipid unsaturation during ripening. Since increases in membrane fluidity are accompanied by increases in the passive permeability to small molecules in a number of membrane systems, it is suggested that the increased leakage which has been previously demonstrated in ripening banana fruit tissue is due to increases in the permeability of at least some cell membranes.

Cell Membrane Permeability↗
PubMed1975

Palmitic acid activation of peroxidase and its possible significance in mango ripening.

Palmitic acid stimulated the activity of mango peroxidase and reversed the inhibition due to the peroxidase inhibitor present in the preclimacteric fruit. The palmitic acid effect appeared to saturate in the range of 45 to 60 muM palmitic acid. Crude fatty acid extract of the mango exerted similar effect. The percentage stimulation was pH-dependent. Palmitic acid stimulated the enzyme by 18 percent at its optimum pH (5) but the stimulation was in excess of 63 percent at pH 2.5. At pH 2.5 the enzyme concentration versus velocity plot was non-linear and the activation by palmitic acid appeared to saturate between 32 and 48 muM concentration of the effector. The inhibition of the enzyme at and above 0.86 muM concentration of substrate (H202) was not found in the presence of palmitic acid. The effector also changed the heat inactivation kinetics of the enzyme and activated only two out of the four peroxidase isoenzymes present in the climacteric fruit extracts. The results presented indicate the regulatory nature of the enzyme and support its significance in fruit ripening.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2026

Nitric oxide enhances SlSPL10-mediated transcriptional repression of carotenoid synthesis genes to delay tomato fruit carotenoid accumulation.

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits climacteric fruit ripening, but its mechanisms remain elusive. Here, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO, a NO donor) reduces carotenoid accumulation in tomato fruit, confirming NO's role as carotenoid biosynthesis suppressor. Transcriptome analysis identified SlSPL10 (SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like 10) as a key player during this process. Genetic evidence further revealed that SlSPL10 negatively regulates carotenoid synthesis. Moreover, GSNO fails to suppress carotenoid synthesis in slspl10 mutant fruit, in contrast to wild-type fruit, highlighting the involvement of SlSPL10 in NO-inhibited carotenoid synthesis. Transcriptomic profiling of slspl10 mutant fruit showed that both NO and SlSPL10 regulate key carotenoid synthesis genes (SlGPS, SlPDS, SlZDS, SlZISO, and SlCRTISO). SlSPL10 directly binds to the promoters of these genes to repress their transcription, and NO enhances the transcriptional inhibition of SlGPS, SlZISO, and SlCRTISO. These three genes are indispensable for SlSPL10's role in NO-mediated carotenoid suppression. Collectively, NO enhances SlSPL10-mediated repression of carotenoid biosynthesis gene expression, reducing carotenoid accumulation in tomato fruit.

Solanum lycopersicum↗
PubMed2026

The transcription factor PavERF28 promotes fruit softening by regulating cell wall degradation in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.).

Fruit softening is a critical determinant of shelf life and marketability in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). This process is predominantly driven by cell wall disassembly, which is tightly regulated by transcription factors. Despite evidence for ethylene's role in sweet cherry softening, how these signals are transduced to regulate the expression of cell wall-modifying genes is unclear. Here, we identified the ethylene-responsive transcription factor PavERF28 as a key regulator in this process. Overexpression of PavERF28 significantly upregulated the transcriptional levels of genes involved in pectin degradation (including genes encoding polygalacturonase, pectin methylesterase inhibitor, and pectate lyase), thus effectively enhancing fruit softening. Moreover, heterologous overexpression of PavERF28 in tomato confirmed its function in promoting fruit softening. At the molecular level, PavERF28 was shown to directly activate the expression of two polygalacturonase genes (PavPG1 and PavPL5) by binding to their promoters, which catalyze pectin depolymerization and thus drive softening. Collectively, our work provides an in-depth elucidation of the regulatory mechanism by which ERF family members control fruit softening in sweet cherry and offers potential targets for the manipulation of fruit ripening, especially softening.

Cell Wall↗
PubMed2025

N-glycan remodeling by α-D-mannosidase and β-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase regulates fruit softening, redox balance, and post-harvest pathogen resistance.

Post-harvest loss of fruits and vegetables poses significant challenges to food security and economic sustainability, primarily due to ripening-associated excessive softening that shortens shelf life and increases susceptibility to pathogens. N-glycans, N-glycoproteins, and their processing enzymes are integral to various plant processes, including fruit ripening. Among these, α-D-mannosidase (α-Man) and β-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase (β-Hex) are key ripening-specific enzymes that modulate fruit softening. Previously, we have shown that RNAi-mediated suppression of α-Man or β-Hex improves fruit shelf life and firmness in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. However, the underlying molecular and biochemical basis of fruit softening regulation by α-Man and β-Hex was not well understood. In this study, we developed transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants by silencing α-Man and β-Hex simultaneously using RNAi. Suppression of these enzymes reduces N-glycoprotein degradation, downregulates pectin dissolution, and inhibits ripening-related gene expression. RNAi fruits exhibited enhanced shelf life, greater firmness, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and increased resistance against post-harvest pathogens without affecting plant growth, fruit development, yield, or nutritional quality. To further explore the molecular mechanism of α-Man and β-Hex function, we purified and quantified N-glycans in RNAi fruits and other ripening-impaired mutants, identifying key N-glycan species. We also carried out iTRAQ-based quantitative proteome profiling to investigate the abundance of proteins in ripened fruit affected by silencing of α-Man and β-Hex. Molecular insights revealed that N-glycan processing and degradation are key events during ripening, influencing cell wall softening, fruit redox state, and post-harvest quality attributes. This study highlights the potential of co-silencing α-Man and β-Hex as a novel approach to extending the shelf life of fruits, regardless of their climacteric behavior, without compromising quality or yield.

Fruit↗
PubMed2026

Phytochrome-interacting factor 1b (SlPIF1b) affects the fruit quality of tomato by regulating chloroplast development.

The increased abundance and functionality of fruit chloroplasts could promote the accumulation of nutrients and flavor in the fruit. Tomato fruit has fully developed fruit chloroplasts, whose abundance and functionality have much untapped potential in improving fruit quality by controlling fruit chloroplast development. Previous studies have identified many regulatory factors that specifically regulate fruit chloroplast development in tomatoes, but there are fewer reports on tomato phytochrome-interacting factors (SlPIFs). Arabidopsis AtPIFs have been implicated in chloroplast development and chlorophyll biosynthesis. In this study, we identified and characterized an SlPIF1b mutant in tomato, named GS, which exhibited a dark green fruit shoulder with enhanced chloroplast development. RNA-seq and genotyping analysis identified a - 21 bp (A → T) mutation in the promoter of SlPIF1b, resulting in the absence of the TATA-box core transcriptional element and inhibiting SlPIF1b transcription. The overexpression of SlPIF1b in GS inhibited chloroplast development of fruits, leading to a lighter green shoulder color, decreased chlorophyll content, reduced photosynthetic activity, diminished starch accumulation, and compromised fruit quality upon ripening. Conversely, the down expression of SlPIF1b significantly enhanced fruit chloroplast development and functionality in fruits, resulting in increased chlorophyll and carotenoid accumulation. Further analysis of expression profile and transcriptional activity indicated that SlPIF1b could bind to G/PBE-box elements present in SlGLK2, SlTKN4, SlCAO1a, SlPOR1, SlPOR3, SlCAB1 and SlCAB1b promoters, thereby inhibiting their expression. This study revealed the specific regulatory mechanism by which SlPIF1b modulates chloroplast development and chlorophyll synthesis in tomato fruit and provided valuable genetic resources and a theoretical basis for tomato quality improvement.

Solanum lycopersicum↗
PubMed2025

Cultivar-Specific Differences in C6 and C7 Sugar Metabolism During Avocado Ripening: Comparative Insights from Bacon, Fuerte, and Hass.

Avocado is a unique fruit in which of seven-carbon (C7) sugars (notably D-mannoheptulose and perseitol) dominate the carbohydrate profile at harvest. Despite growing interest in sugar-mediated ripening processes, limited comparative data exist across cultivars. This work characterises the dynamic changes in non-structural carbohydrates in the mesotecarp of three commercially relevant avocado varieties-Bacon, Fuerte, and Hass-across four defined ripening stages, from unripe to overripe, with five biological replicates per stage. Using a validated hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS) method, we quantified five key sugars and assessed their evolution through ripening. Concentrations varied among the studied samples within the following ranges: D-mannoheptulose, 0.4-49 mg/g dry weight (DW); perseitol, 0.5-23 mg/g DW; glucose, 0.8-5.3 mg/g DW; fructose, 0.6-4.5 mg/g DW; and sucrose, 0.5-3.4 mg/g DW. C7 sugar levels consistently declined, while C6 sugars increased-primarily between the intermediate and ready-to-eat stages-with distinct cultivar-specific patterns. Bacon maintained elevated C7 concentrations for a longer period; Fuerte exhibited a rapid transition from C7 to C6 sugars; and Hass displayed a more gradual and balanced shift. Multivariate analysis (partial least squares discriminant analysis, PLS-DA) effectively discriminated between cultivars at each ripening stage, confirming cultivar-specific metabolic signatures. These findings offer new insights into avocado carbohydrate metabolism, emphasising variety-dependent pathways that could inform breeding strategies, optimise postharvest ripening protocols, and support the nutritional characterisation of different avocado cultivars.

Persea americana↗
PubMed1976

[Ripening of Haden and Kent mangos covered with Tag wax in different ripening stages].

Mangos at different maturity stages were waxed with TAG and allowed to ripe at 23 degrees C and 16 degrees C, with a relative humidity of 60-70%. Unwaxed fruits held under the same conditions were used as controls. Results showed that in both varieties the waxing of the fruits extended their shelf life, improved their appearance and reduced their weight losses. Some internal characteristics like color and pH were also improved in waxed fruits, but TSS tended to be reduced in those treated fruits. It was concluded that maximum shelf life extention and best improvement in the internal qualities were achieved when fruits at the green maturity stage were treated. The significance of these findings and their possible application are discussed.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2026

Alternative oxidase pathway inhibits PuWRKY7-PuHDAC15 complex to promote ester aroma synthesis in Nanguo pear.

Volatile esters are key contributors to the characteristic aroma in fruit, and their accumulation directly dictates fruit quality and consumer acceptance. The alternative oxidase pathway is known for its role in regulating fruit quality, but its molecular mechanism in ester aroma accumulation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that the alternative oxidase pathway acts as the dominant respiratory pathway in Nanguo pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) during ripening and promotes ester aroma accumulation by increasing histone acetylation levels of PuAAT1 (alcohol acetyltransferase 1), the key gene governing ester synthesis. Further, we identified PuHDAC15 as a critical histone deacetylase that modulates acetylation levels and interacts with the transcription factor PuWRKY7. Mechanistically, PuWRKY7 directly binds to the W-box elements in the PuAAT1 promoter. The PuHDAC15-PuWRKY7 complex acts synergistically to repress PuAAT1 transcription, thereby decreasing its histone acetylation levels and gene expression, and consequently inhibiting ester aroma accumulation in Nanguo pear. This study reveals how the alternative oxidase pathway integrates into fruit aroma formation via epigenetic regulation and gene expression, thereby providing a scientific basis for targeted improvement of fruit quality.

Plant Proteins↗