Investigation of the transcriptomic and metabolic changes associated with superficial scald physiology impaired by lovastatin and 1-methylcyclopropene in pear fruit (cv. "Blanquilla").

ABSTRACT: To elucidate the physiology underlying the development of superficial scald in pears, susceptible "Blanquilla" fruit was treated with different compounds that either promoted (ethylene) or repressed (1-methylcyclopropene and lovastatin) the incidence of this disorder after 4 months of cold storage. Our data show that scald was negligible for the fruit treated with 1-methylcyclopropene or lovastatin, but highly manifested in untreated (78% incidence) or ethylene-treated fruit (97% incidence). The comparison between the fruit metabolomic profile and transcriptome evidenced a distinct reprogramming associated with each treatment. In all treated samples, cold storage led to an activation of a cold-acclimation-resistance mechanism, including the biosynthesis of very-long-chain fatty acids, which was especially evident in 1-methylcyclopropane-treated fruit. Among the treatments applied, only 1-methylcyclopropene inhibited ethylene production, hence supporting the involvement of this hormone in the development of scald. However, a common repression effect on the PPO gene combined with higher sorbitol content was found for both lovastatin and 1-methylcyclopropene-treated samples, suggesting also a non-ethylene-mediated process preventing the development of this disorder. The results presented in this work represent a step forward to better understand the physiological mechanisms governing the etiology of superficial scald in pears.

SUBMITTER: Gine-Bordonaba J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7109095 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature