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Molecular Characterization of Ethylene-Regulated Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Plums During Fruit Ripening

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Abstract

Anthocyanin accumulation is an important physiological process that occurs during plum fruit ripening. Currently, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of ethylene-regulated anthocyanin accumulation in plum fruit. To better understand this process, ethylene production, anthocyanin content, and the expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and ethylene signaling were studied in the postharvest ‘Oishi-wase’ plum (Prunus salicina Lindl. cv. ‘Oishi-wase’) fruit. Ethylene treatment significantly enhanced the anthocyanin accumulation in plum fruit peel, while 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment resulted in considerable reduction in anthocyanin content. Furthermore, ethylene treatment significantly enhanced the expression levels of the seven structural genes, i.e., PsPAL, PsCHS, PsCHI, PsF3H, PsDFR, PsLDOX, and PsUFGT, that were involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, while 1-MCP treatment showed an opposite effect. Similar to the structural genes, the master transcription factor PsMYB10 messenger RNA (mRNA) was also induced by ethylene and suppressed by 1-MCP, and this was positively correlated with ethylene production, anthocyanin accumulation, and the expression profile of the structural genes. The expression patterns of the ethylene signal pathway-associated genes, including two ethylene receptors (PsERS1 and PsETR1) and seven ethylene-responsive factors (PsERFs), were also positively correlated with that of PsMYB10 and most of the structural genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. Further analysis indicated that PsERS1, PsETR1, PsERF1a, PsERF1b, PsERF2a, PsERF3a, and PsERF3b might be involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway of plum fruit. These results suggest that the ethylene signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis of postharvest plum fruit.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (C2015301038)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Genetics and Physiology, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050051, People’s Republic of China

    Yudou Cheng, Liqin Liu, Can Yuan & Junfeng Guan

  2. Plant Genetic Engineering Center of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050051, People’s Republic of China

    Yudou Cheng, Liqin Liu, Can Yuan & Junfeng Guan

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  1. Yudou Cheng
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  2. Liqin Liu
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  4. Junfeng Guan
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Correspondence to Junfeng Guan.

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Cheng, Y., Liu, L., Yuan, C. et al. Molecular Characterization of Ethylene-Regulated Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Plums During Fruit Ripening. Plant Mol Biol Rep 34, 777–785 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-015-0963-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-015-0963-x

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