The MADS-Box Transcription Factor EjAGL18 Negatively Regulates Malic Acid Content in Loquat by Repressing <i>EjtDT1</i>.

ABSTRACT: Malic acid is the major organic acid in loquat fruit, contributing to the sourness of fruit and affecting fruit flavor. However, the transcriptional regulation of malic acid in loquat is not well understood. Here, we discovered a MADS-box transcription factor (TF), EjAGL18, that regulated malic acid accumulation in loquat. EjAGL18 is a nucleus-localized TF without transcriptional activity. The expression of EjAGL18 increased during fruit ripening, opposite to the accumulation pattern of malic acid in loquat. The transient overexpression of EjAGL18 in loquat fruit downregulated malic acid accumulation and the transcriptional level of the tonoplast dicarboxylate transporter EjtDT1. Conversely, silencing EjAGL18 in loquat fruit upregulated the malic acid content an

SUBMITTER: Chi Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11765138 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature