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Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation
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Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 16792

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Je Min Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Horticultural Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
Interests: fruit ripening; molecular genetics and genomics for Solanaceae; secondary metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruits undergo complex and highly coordinated biochemical processes during development and ripening. Among these processes, fruit pigmentation is a primary factor and an important quality trait that influences the preferences of humans and animals. Several secondary metabolites, including carotenoids and flavonoids, are major determinants controlling fruit pigments and play essential roles in human nutrition and health. Various genetic components, such as biosynthetic genes and transcription factors, are known to control fruit pigmentation. Understanding the genetic basis of fruit pigmentation is helpful in designing strategies for producing valuable plant products and enhancing characteristics of economically important crops. This Special Issue, “Genetic regulation of fruit pigmentation”, will cover recent discoveries in genetic regulation, biosynthesis, biofortification, breeding, genomics, and other broadly defined aspects for a better understanding of fruit pigmentation. Authors are invited to submit original research articles and reviews to advance basic knowledge or translational research, where we are taking a broad view with respect to the areas of interest.

Dr. Je Min Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • fruit pigmentation
  • biosynthesis
  • genomics
  • breeding
  • biofortification
  • fruit ripening
  • carotenoid
  • flavonoid

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6624 KiB  
Article
Light Induces Carotenoid Biosynthesis-Related Gene Expression, Accumulation of Pigment Content, and Expression of the Small Heat Shock Protein in Apple Fruit
by Van Giap Do, Youngsuk Lee, Hunjoong Kweon and Seonae Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(11), 6153; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23116153 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2855
Abstract
The coloration of the apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) depends on pigment content. Light stimulus activates a broad range of photosynthesis-related genes, including carotenoids. The effect of light on two red commercial apple cultivars, ‘Summer Prince’ and ‘Arisoo’ at the juvenile [...] Read more.
The coloration of the apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) depends on pigment content. Light stimulus activates a broad range of photosynthesis-related genes, including carotenoids. The effect of light on two red commercial apple cultivars, ‘Summer Prince’ and ‘Arisoo’ at the juvenile stage were examined. Apple fruits were either bagged to reduce light irradiation or were exposed to direct, enhanced sunlight (reflected). The pigment content and the expression of carotenoid metabolism genes in the peel and flesh of apple fruits were significantly different between the shaded and the reflected parts. These parameters were also different in the two cultivars, highlighting the contribution of the genetic background. Further, a combination of light and transient overexpression of carotenogenic genes increased fruit coloration and pigment content in the variety ‘RubyS’. Western blot analysis showed the expression of small heat shock proteins (smHSP) in lysates extracted from the reflected part of the fruits but not in the bagged fruits, indicating the activation of smHSP in response to heat generated by the reflected light. Therefore, the synergy between the genes and the environment dictates the color of apple fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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19 pages, 3991 KiB  
Article
ABA Speeds Up the Progress of Color in Developing F. chiloensis Fruit through the Activation of PAL, CHS and ANS, Key Genes of the Phenylpropanoid/Flavonoid and Anthocyanin Pathways
by Elena Mattus-Araya, Joselin Guajardo, Raúl Herrera and María A. Moya-León
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3854; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073854 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2328
Abstract
Phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties have risen in interest due to their benefits for human health. Fragaria chiloensis is a native wild berry species from Chile that develops a white/pink receptacle and white flesh at the ripe stage. Changes in color parameters, anthocyanins, [...] Read more.
Phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties have risen in interest due to their benefits for human health. Fragaria chiloensis is a native wild berry species from Chile that develops a white/pink receptacle and white flesh at the ripe stage. Changes in color parameters, anthocyanins, secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids), and total antioxidant capacity were followed during the development and ripening of F. chiloensis fruit. The increment in color ‘a’ index takes place in parallel with anthocyanins rise and the reduction in phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity. Good correlations were determined between color development, anthocyanins, and the expression of key phenylpropanoid/flavonoid and anthocyanin pathway genes. To investigate the role of ABA on color development, detached immature fruit (C2 stage) were treated with exogenous ABA and stored at 20 °C. Fruit color development was accelerated by ABA treatment compared to non-treated fruit, and consistent with that, the increment in the accumulation of anthocyanins and transcripts of phenylpropanoid/flavonoid, and anthocyanin pathways genes such as FcPAL, FcCHS, and FcANS were observed. This suggests that ABA promotes transcriptional changes that lead to the color formation on this non-climacteric fruit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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13 pages, 6308 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of Apples in High-Temperature Treatments Reveals a Role of MdLBD37 in the Inhibition of Anthocyanin Accumulation
by Yu-Feng Bu, Shuo Wang, Chen-Zhiyu Li, Yue Fang, Ya Zhang, Qing-Yu Li, Hai-Bo Wang, Xue-Sen Chen and Shou-Qian Feng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3766; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073766 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2585
Abstract
Coloring in apple fruit due to anthocyanin accumulation is inhibited by high temperature; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents were determined and compared between cv. ‘Redchief Delicious’ apple fruits at 25 °C and [...] Read more.
Coloring in apple fruit due to anthocyanin accumulation is inhibited by high temperature; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents were determined and compared between cv. ‘Redchief Delicious’ apple fruits at 25 °C and 35 °C treatments. The high temperature (35 °C) treatment substantially decreased total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents. The transcriptomes of 25 °C- and 35 °C-treated apples were analyzed by high-throughput RNA sequencing. A total of 8354 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected at four time points corresponding to the two temperature treatments. The up-regulated DEGs were annotated using GO as well as KEGG databases. A network module of 528 genes (including 21 transcription factors) most associated with the total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents was constructed by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). In the WGCNA module, we unearthed a LOB domain-containing gene designated as MdLBD37. The expression of MdLBD37 was sharply up-regulated by high temperature and negatively correlated with the total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents. Overexpression of MdLBD37 in apple fruit and calli decreased the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, such as MdCHI, MdCHS, MdF3H, MdANS, MdDFR, and MdUFGT, along with anthocyanin accumulation. Our results suggested that MdLBD37 significantly influenced the high-temperature inhibition of anthocyanin accumulation in apples. The findings shed more light on the mechanism of anthocyanin inhibition during high-temperature stress in apples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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13 pages, 15298 KiB  
Article
A 69 kbp Deletion at the Berry Color Locus Is Responsible for Berry Color Recovery in Vitis vinifera L. Cultivar ‘Riesling Rot’
by Franco Röckel, Carina Moock, Florian Schwander, Erika Maul, Reinhard Töpfer and Ludger Hausmann
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073708 - 28 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2551
Abstract
‘Riesling Weiss’ is a white grapevine variety famous worldwide for fruity wines with higher acidity. Hardly known is ‘Riesling Rot’, a red-berried variant of ‘Riesling Weiss’ that disappeared from commercial cultivation but has increased in awareness in the last decades. The question arises [...] Read more.
‘Riesling Weiss’ is a white grapevine variety famous worldwide for fruity wines with higher acidity. Hardly known is ‘Riesling Rot’, a red-berried variant of ‘Riesling Weiss’ that disappeared from commercial cultivation but has increased in awareness in the last decades. The question arises of which variant, white or red, is the original and, consequently, which cultivar is the true ancestor. Sequencing the berry color locus of ‘Riesling Rot’ revealed a new VvmybA gene variant in one of the two haplophases called VvmybA3/1RR. The allele displays homologous recombination of VvmybA3 and VvmybA1 with a deletion of about 69 kbp between both genes that restores VvmybA1 transcripts. Furthermore, analysis of ‘Riesling Weiss’, ‘Riesling Rot’, and the ancestor ‘Heunisch Weiss’ along chromosome 2 using SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers elucidated that the haplophase of ‘Riesling Weiss’ was inherited from the white-berried parent variety ‘Heunisch Weiss’. Since no color mutants of ‘Heunisch Weiss’ are described that could have served as allele donors, we concluded that, in contrast to the public opinion, ‘Riesling Rot’ resulted from a mutational event in ‘Riesling Weiss’ and not vice versa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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15 pages, 2252 KiB  
Article
Effect of Paper-Bagging on Apple Skin Patterning Associated with MdMYB10 Promoter Methylation
by Hye Jeong Cho, A Reum Han and Cheol Choi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(6), 3319; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23063319 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
Paper-bagging is an efficient method to maximize apple skin color, but a relationship between this technique and fruit skin patterning has not been demonstrated. Here, the ‘Fuji’ fruit with red-striped skin changed to red-blushed skin under re-exposure to light after bag treatment. Higher [...] Read more.
Paper-bagging is an efficient method to maximize apple skin color, but a relationship between this technique and fruit skin patterning has not been demonstrated. Here, the ‘Fuji’ fruit with red-striped skin changed to red-blushed skin under re-exposure to light after bag treatment. Higher expression of MdMYB10, a transcription factor that regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in apples, correlated with increased anthocyanin concentration in bag removal fruit. At the mature stage, a comparison of methylation status in the MdMYB10 promoter revealed that the methylation level in the region from −2585 to −2117 bp was reduced in bag removal fruit, especially for CHG context. It can be regulated by the downregulated expression of DNA methyltransferases such as MdMET, MdCMT, and MdDRM. Our results suggest that the bag removal treatment in this cultivar causes a change in skin patterning from striped to blushed pigmentation by inducing DNA demethylation of MdMYB10. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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19 pages, 14306 KiB  
Article
Pigmentation and Flavonoid Metabolite Diversity in Immature ‘Fuji’ Apple Fruits in Response to Lights and Methyl Jasmonate
by Jung-A Ryu, Shucheng Duan, Ho-Young Jeong, Chanhui Lee, In-Kyu Kang and Seok Hyun Eom
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031722 - 2 Feb 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3570
Abstract
Artificial pigmentation of apple fruits has been intensely evaluated to generate less pigmented red apples, which are profitable because of the changes in fruit quality. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of flavonoids and the patterns of flavonoid metabolic gene expression under [...] Read more.
Artificial pigmentation of apple fruits has been intensely evaluated to generate less pigmented red apples, which are profitable because of the changes in fruit quality. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of flavonoids and the patterns of flavonoid metabolic gene expression under light irradiation with or without methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment in immature (S1) and color-turning (S2) staged ‘Fuji’ apples. Further, we assessed the metabolic regulation at the gene level between anthocyanin and flavonol in light-responsive apple skins. UV-B exposure within 3 days was found to significantly stimulate anthocyanin accumulation in apple skin compared to other light exposure. S1 skin was more sensitive to UV-B and MeJA treatment, in the aspect of indaein accumulation. The enhancement of apple pigmentation following treatment with adequate levels of UV-B and MeJA was maximized at approximately 72 h. Red (range from 4.25 to 17.96 µg·g−1 DW), blue (range from 4.59 to 9.17 µg·g−1 DW) and UV-A (range from 3.98 to 19.12 µg·g−1 DW) lights contributed to the induction of idaein content. Most genes related to the flavonoid pathways increased their expression under UV-B exposure, including the gene expression of the transcription factor, MdMYB10, a well-known upstream factor of flavonoid biosynthesis in apples. The boosted upregulation of MdMYB10, MdCHS, MdF3H MdLDOX, and MdUFGT genes due to MeJA in UV-B was found and may contribute the increase of idaein. UV-A and UV-B caused higher quercetin glycoside content in both S1 and S2 apple skins than longer wavelengths, resulting in significant increases in quercetin-3-O-galactoside and quercetin-3-O-glucoside. These results suggest that the application of adequate UV-B with MeJA in less-pigmented postharvest apples will improve apple color quality within a short period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Regulation of Fruit Pigmentation)
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