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Li S, Li Q, Qu G, Cao J, Jiang W. Fractionation and characterization of sodium carbonate-soluble fractions of cell wall pectic polysaccharides involved in the rapid mealiness of 'Hongjiangjun' apple fruit. Food Chem 2024; 455:139961. [PMID: 38850983 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Apple flesh tends to turn mealy and textural deterioration commonly occurs during storage. The comparative investigation of three sub-fractions separated from sodium carbonate-soluble pectin (SSP) of 'Hongjiangjun' apples between crisp and mealy stages was performed to unveil the textural alterations related to mealiness. In situ immunofluorescence labelling showed that galactans declined in parenchyma cell walls during the fruit mealiness. FTIR analysis, monosaccharide compositions and structural polymers configurated that loss of rhammogalacturonan-I (RG-I) from SSP sub-fragments (SC0.0-P and S-M0.0-P) might be closely involved in the mealiness. The NMR spectroscopy revealed that loss of the substituted galactans from α-Rhap residues repeat unit in SC0.0-P constituting RG-I in crisp stage that subsequently converted to S-M0.0-P in mealy stage might be closely associated with the modifications of pectin in cell walls during mealiness. These findings provided novel evidence for understanding the underlying modifications of SSP polymers during the mealiness of 'Hongjiangjun' apples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Li
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China; Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Guiqin Qu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiankang Cao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Weibo Jiang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 17 Qinghuadonglu Road, Beijing 100083, China
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2
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Zhou Y, Shen Q, Cai L, Zhao H, Zhang K, Ma Y, Bo Y, Lyu X, Yang J, Hu Z, Zhang M. Promoter variations of ClERF1 gene determines flesh firmness in watermelon. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:290. [PMID: 38627629 PMCID: PMC11020897 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05000-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flesh firmness is a critical factor that influences fruit storability, shelf-life and consumer's preference as well. However, less is known about the key genetic factors that are associated with flesh firmness in fresh fruits like watermelon. RESULTS In this study, through bulk segregant analysis (BSA-seq), we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that influenced variations in flesh firmness among recombinant inbred lines (RIL) developed from cross between the Citrullus mucosospermus accession ZJU152 with hard-flesh and Citrullus lanatus accession ZJU163 with soft-flesh. Fine mapping and sequence variations analyses revealed that ethylene-responsive factor 1 (ClERF1) was the most likely candidate gene for watermelon flesh firmness. Furthermore, several variations existed in the promoter region between ClERF1 of two parents, and significantly higher expressions of ClERF1 were found in hard-flesh ZJU152 compared with soft-flesh ZJU163 at key developmental stages. DUAL-LUC and GUS assays suggested much stronger promoter activity in ZJU152 over ZJU163. In addition, the kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) genotyping datasets of RIL populations and germplasm accessions further supported ClERF1 as a possible candidate gene for fruit flesh firmness variability and the hard-flesh genotype might only exist in wild species C. mucosospermus. Through yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual luciferase assay, we found that ClERF1 could directly bind to the promoters of auxin-responsive protein (ClAux/IAA) and exostosin family protein (ClEXT) and positively regulated their expressions influencing fruit ripening and cell wall biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that ClERF1 encoding an ethylene-responsive factor 1 is associated with flesh firmness in watermelon and provide mechanistic insight into the regulation of flesh firmness, and the ClERF1 gene is potentially applicable to the molecular improvement of fruit-flesh firmness by design breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimei Zhou
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qinghui Shen
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingmin Cai
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haoshun Zhao
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kejia Zhang
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuyuan Ma
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Xiaolong Lyu
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinghua Yang
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Precision Crop Design Breeding, Hanghzou, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Yazhou District, Sanya, China
- Key laboratory of Horticultural Plant growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongyuan Hu
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Precision Crop Design Breeding, Hanghzou, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Yazhou District, Sanya, China
- Key laboratory of Horticultural Plant growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingfang Zhang
- Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Precision Crop Design Breeding, Hanghzou, China.
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Yazhou District, Sanya, China.
- Key laboratory of Horticultural Plant growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou, China.
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Zhang S, Wu S, Jia Z, Zhang J, Li Y, Ma X, Fan B, Wang P, Gao Y, Ye Z, Wang W. Exploring the influence of a single-nucleotide mutation in EIN4 on tomato fruit firmness diversity through fruit pericarp microstructure. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 38623687 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) stands as one of the most valuable vegetable crops globally, and fruit firmness significantly impacts storage and transportation. To identify genes governing tomato firmness, we scrutinized the firmness of 266 accessions from core collections. Our study pinpointed an ethylene receptor gene, SlEIN4, located on chromosome 4 through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of fruit firmness in the 266 tomato core accessions. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (A → G) of SlEIN4 distinguished lower (AA) and higher (GG) fruit firmness genotypes. Through experiments, we observed that overexpression of SlEIN4AA significantly delayed tomato fruit ripening and dramatically reduced fruit firmness at the red ripe stage compared with the control. Conversely, gene editing of SlEIN4AA with CRISPR/Cas9 notably accelerated fruit ripening and significantly increased fruit firmness at the red ripe stage compared with the control. Further investigations revealed that fruit firmness is associated with alterations in the microstructure of the fruit pericarp. Additionally, SlEIN4AA positively regulates pectinase activity. The transient transformation assay verified that the SNP (A → G) on SlEIN4 caused different genetic effects, as overexpression of SlEIN4GG increased fruit firmness. Moreover, SlEIN4 exerts a negative regulatory role in tomato ripening by impacting ethylene evolution through the abundant expression of ethylene pathway regulatory genes. This study presents the first evidence of the role of ethylene receptor genes in regulating fruit firmness. These significant findings will facilitate the effective utilization of firmness and ripening traits in tomato improvement, offering promising opportunities for enhancing tomato storage and transportation capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwen Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shengqing Wu
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhiqi Jia
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Li
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xingyun Ma
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bingli Fan
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Panqiao Wang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanna Gao
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhibiao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Laboratory of Henan Horticultural Crop Biology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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Xu R, Chen Q, Zhang Y, Li J, Zhou J, Wang Y, Chang H, Meng F, Wang B. Research on Flesh Texture and Quality Traits of Kiwifruit (cv. Xuxiang) with Fluctuating Temperatures during Cold Storage. Foods 2023; 12:3892. [PMID: 37959011 PMCID: PMC10650915 DOI: 10.3390/foods12213892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Kiwifruits are often exposed to various temperature fluctuations (TFs) during postharvest transportation and storage. To evaluate the effect of TFs on the qualities of kiwifruits during storage, kiwifruits were stored at 2 °C, 2 °C or 5 °C (TF2 °C-5 °C, alternating every 12 h), 2 °C or 7 °C (TF2 °C-7 °C, alternating every 12 h) for 3 d before long time storage at 2 °C. Observations revealed that kiwifruits stored at a constant 2 °C showed the lowest loss of weight and vitamin C because of minimized ethylene production and respiratory rate compared with that of TF2 °C-5 °C and TF2 °C-7 °C. Moreover, the results of RT-qPCR verified that the expression levels of genes encoding polygalacturonase, β-galacturonidase, and pectin methylesterase were significantly increased by the treatment of TF. Hence, TF accelerated the degradation of cell walls, softening, translucency, and relative conductivity of the flesh of kiwifruits. In addition, the impact of TF2 °C-7 °C on kiwifruits was more significant relative to TF2 °C-5 °C. The present study provides a theoretical basis for kiwifruit during cold storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Xu
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Qian Chen
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Q.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Yizhao Zhang
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Jiali Li
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; (Q.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiahua Zhou
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Yunxiang Wang
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Hong Chang
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Fanxiang Meng
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
| | - Baogang Wang
- Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, National R&D Center for Fruit Processing, Beijing 100093, China; (R.X.); (Y.Z.); (J.Z.); (Y.W.); (H.C.); (F.M.)
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5
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Wang Y, Ma L, Ma Y, Tian T, Zhang J, Wang H, Liu Z, Chen Q, He W, Lin Y, Zhang Y, Li M, Yang S, Zhang Y, Luo Y, Tang H, Wang X. Comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide insights into fruit softening in Chinese cherry [ Cerasus pseudocerasus (Lindl.) G.Don]. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1190061. [PMID: 37528967 PMCID: PMC10388103 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1190061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Fruit softening is a complex, genetically programmed and environmentally regulated process, which undergoes biochemical and physiological changes during fruit development. The molecular mechanisms that determine these changes in Chinese cherry [Cerasus peseudocerasus (Lindl.) G.Don] fruits are still unknown. In the present study, fruits of hard-fleshed 'Hongfei' and soft-fleshed 'Pengzhoubai' varieties of Chinese cherry were selected to illustrate the fruit softening at different developmental stages. We analyzed physiological characteristics and transcriptome profiles to identify key cell wall components and candidate genes related to fruit softening and construct the co-expression networks. The dynamic changes of cell wall components (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin), the degrading enzyme activities, and the microstructure were closely related to the fruit firmness during fruit softening. A total of 6,757 and 3,998 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between stages and varieties, respectively. Comprehensive functional enrichment analysis supported that cell wall metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were involved in fruit softening. The majority of structural genes were significantly increased with fruit ripening in both varieties, but mainly down-regulated in Hongfei fruits compared with Pengzhoubai, especially DEGs related to cellulose and hemicellulose metabolism. The expression levels of genes involving lignin biosynthesis were decreased with fruit ripening, while mainly up-regulated in Hongfei fruits at red stage. These obvious differences might delay the cell all degrading and loosening, and enhance the cell wall stiffing in Hongfei fruits, which maintained a higher level of fruit firmness than Pengzhoubai. Co-expressed network analysis showed that the key structural genes were correlated with plant hormone signal genes (such as abscisic acid, auxin, and jasmonic acid) and transcription factors (MADS, bHLH, MYB, ERF, NAC, and WRKY). The RNA-seq results were supported using RT-qPCR by 25 selected DEGs that involved in cell wall metabolism, hormone signal pathways and TF genes. These results provide important basis for the molecular mechanism of fruit softening in Chinese cherry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lan Ma
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Ma
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Tai Tian
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Wang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhenshan Liu
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qing Chen
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wen He
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuanxiu Lin
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunting Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mengyao Li
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shaofeng Yang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ya Luo
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Haoru Tang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaorong Wang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Dynamic Changes in Cell Wall Polysaccharides during Fruit Development and Ripening of Two Contrasting Loquat Cultivars and Associated Molecular Mechanisms. Foods 2023; 12:foods12020309. [PMID: 36673402 PMCID: PMC9858128 DOI: 10.3390/foods12020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Loquats have drawn much attention due to their essential nutrients and unusual phenology, which fills a market gap in early spring. Fruit firmness (FF) is one of the most important quality attributes. Dynamic changes in FF, cell wall (CW) polysaccharides, CW hydrolase activity, and expression of CW metabolism-related genes during the fruit development and ripening stages of two contrasting loquat cultivars were compared. Although the two cultivars possessed similar FF at the initial fruitlet stage, Dawuxing was significantly firmer than Ninghaibai at all subsequent time points. FF was positively correlated with the contents of covalent-soluble pectin and hemicellulose, activity of peroxidase, and gene expressions of PME, EG, CAD6, and POD; and negatively correlated with the contents of water-soluble pectin, activities of polygalacturonase, endo-glucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and xylanase, and gene expressions of PG, EG2, PAL1, PAL3, and CAD5. Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in FF is useful for fundamental research and crop improvement in future.
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