Journal Article

Integrated omics reveal the mechanisms underlying softening and aroma changes in pear during postharvest storage and the role of melatonin

Dong, Xingguang, Liu, Chao, Qi, Dan, Tian, Luming, Zhang, Ying, Huo, Hongliang, Xu, Jiayu, Cao, Yufen

2025

Overview

Background Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. are rich in nutrients, with a pleasant aroma and postharvest softening properties. Postharvest softening influences shelf life of fruit and fruit quality. Melatonin is a natural and safe preservative, which can effectively maintain fruit quality after harvesting, and delay softening of fruit. The aim of study was to elucidate mechanism of pear fruit softening and fruit aroma during postharvest storage and effect of melatonin. Results Ethylene production rate, respiration rate, weight loss of fruit, soluble solid content, titratable acidity were assessed, and transmission electron microscopy, metabolite profiling, and whole-transcriptome RNA-sequencing were performed. Four important pathways that pentose and glucuronate interconversion, galactose metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism and the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway were involved in pear fruit softening. Ethylene production pathway-related genes, such as ACS and ACO were involved in pear fruit softening and expression of that under exogenous melatonin treatment were slightly inhibited. Fruit aroma changed after storage mainly through lipoxygenase pathway under ddH 2 O treatment and exogenous melatonin treatment changed composition of volatile organic compounds. CeRNA networks associated with pear softening and aroma were established. Mdm-miR159a, mdm-miR396a/b-p3 and mdm-miR408a were found to modulate both fruit softening and aroma formation through ceRNA analysis. Mdm-miR10988-p3 was functionally diverse and as major regulatory components in ceRNA network. Conclusions This study indicated that degradation of cell wall caused pear fruit softening, lipoxygenase pathway mainly affected change of fruit aroma during postharvest storage and exogenous melatonin treatment could improve fruit firmness after storage and alter pear's aroma. The mechanism underlying these effects was elucidated, providing theoretical basis for study of pear fruit softening and preservation technology.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Acidity / Agriculture / Aroma / Aromatic plants / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biosynthesis / Botanical research / cell respiration / Cell walls / Cellulase / Chemical composition / Ethylene / ethylene production / Ethylenes - metabolism / Firmness / Food / Food Storage / Fruit - drug effects / Fruit - genetics / Fruit - metabolism / fruit quality / Fruits / Galactose / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Gene sequencing / Genetic aspects / Life Sciences / Lipid metabolism / Lipoxygenase / lipoxygenases / Melatonin / Melatonin - metabolism / Melatonin - pharmacology / metabolism / Metabolite / Metabolites / MicroRNAs / Nutrients / Odorants - analysis / odors / Organic compounds / Pear / pears / Pentose / pentoses / Physiological aspects / Physiology / Plant genetics / Plant Sciences / postharvest storage / Preservatives / Pyrus - drug effects / Pyrus - genetics / Pyrus - metabolism / Pyrus - physiology / Pyrus ussuriensis / Respiration / RNA / Sensors / sequence analysis / Shelf life / Softening / sphingolipids / starch / Storage / Sucrose / Temperature / titratable acidity / total soluble solids / Transcriptome / Transcriptomes / Transmission electron microscopy / Tree Biology / VOCs / Volatile organic compounds / Volatile Organic Compounds - metabolism / Weight loss / Whole transcriptome / Zaoshu Shanli