Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals regulatory mechanisms underlying coloration differences in the pericarps of two Litchi cultivars.

ABSTRACT: The color of the litchi pericarp, a crucial external quality attribute, is primarily influenced by the accumulation of anthocyanins and the degradation of chlorophyll. Despite this understanding, the metabolic regulatory networks and key molecular nodes responsible for cultivar-specific color variations remain inadequately characterized, thereby hindering efforts to improve quality. This study utilized the red-pericarp cultivar 'Ziniangxi' (ZNX) and the green-pericarp cultivar 'Guanyinlv' (GYL) to conduct integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses. The findings revealed that ZNX pericarps exhibited significantly elevated levels of key anthocyanins, including cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. In contrast, GYL pericarp

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12720372 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature