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Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality
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Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 8766

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hui Xia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
2. Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: fruit quality; horticultural plants; quality formation mechanisms
Dr. Honghong Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
2. Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: citrus; mandarins; Pomology; Fruit Cultivation; fruit quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The formation of fruit quality includes many aspects, such as organic acids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and polyphenols. Their contents change dynamically in the process of fruit development and vary among different species and even varieties, thus resulting in fruit products with a wide range of shapes, colors, and flavors. In addition, these quality indicators are also regulated by external environmental factors, such as light and temperature. Understanding the physiological processes and regulatory mechanisms of fruit quality formation can lay the foundation for further improving fruit nutritional value.

This Special Issue will focus on the “Formation Mechanisms and Regulation of Fruit Quality”. We invite you to share your contributions on the following topics: 1) the characteristics of the fruit quality formation of some special fruits; 2) regulatory mechanisms of fruit quality. It is targeted at a wide range of fruit species, such as grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, apples, citrus, plums, pears, and more.

Prof. Dr. Hui Xia
Dr. Honghong Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fruit species
  • fruit quality formation
  • organic acids
  • anthocyanins
  • carotenoids
  • polyphenols
  • fruit shapes
  • fruit colors
  • fruit flavors
  • physiological processes
  • regulatory mechanisms

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3133 KiB  
Article
Relationships Between Organic Acid Metabolism and the Accumulation of Sugars and Calcium in Fruits of Cerasus humilis During Different Development Stages
by Li Zhang, Jie Zhang and Jinli Guo
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3053; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213053 - 31 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1205
Abstract
Cerasus humilis fruit is known for its high acidity, surpassing that of most other fruits. The metabolism of organic acids in these fruits significantly influences sugar and calcium accumulation. However, research on this metabolic process is limited. This study investigates the organic acid [...] Read more.
Cerasus humilis fruit is known for its high acidity, surpassing that of most other fruits. The metabolism of organic acids in these fruits significantly influences sugar and calcium accumulation. However, research on this metabolic process is limited. This study investigates the organic acid metabolism and the accumulation patterns of sugars and calcium during the development of Cerasus humilis fruits. Using low−acid and high−acid varieties from Inner Mongolia, we compared organic acid components and the activity of relevant metabolic enzymes during fruit maturation. We also measured the content and proportions of various sugars and calcium forms, performing correlation analyses. Throughout the development and ripening of Cerasus humilis fruits, organic acids, sugars, and calcium exhibited consistent patterns of change across the two acidity types. Malic acid emerged as the most significant organic acid, while fructose was the primary sugar, and active calcium was the dominant calcium component. Correlation analyses indicated that malic acid and total acid positively correlated with sugar and water−soluble calcium content, negatively regulating other calcium forms. Conversely, NADP−ME, citric acid, and oxalic acid negatively correlated with sugars and water−soluble calcium, while positively affecting other calcium forms. In conclusion, the metabolism of organic acids during the development and maturation of Cerasus humilis fruits is closely linked to the accumulation of sugars and calcium. Malic acid, primarily regulated by NAD−MDH and NADP−ME, promotes the accumulation of sugars and water−soluble calcium but inhibits other calcium forms, while citric and oxalic acids inhibit sugar accumulation and promote non−water−soluble calcium forms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality)
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13 pages, 3334 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Sodium Humate on the Biosynthesis and Contents of Flavonoid Constituents in Lemons
by Nianao Xu, Fan Yang, Weifeng Dai, Cheng Yuan, Jinxue Li, Hanqi Zhang, Youdi Ren and Mi Zhang
Plants 2024, 13(20), 2888; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202888 - 15 Oct 2024
Viewed by 829
Abstract
Sodium humate (SH) is the sodium salt of humic acid. Our previous research has demonstrated that SH has the ability to enhance the levels of total flavonoids in various parts of lemons, including the leaves, peels, pulps, and seeds, thereby improving the quality [...] Read more.
Sodium humate (SH) is the sodium salt of humic acid. Our previous research has demonstrated that SH has the ability to enhance the levels of total flavonoids in various parts of lemons, including the leaves, peels, pulps, and seeds, thereby improving the quality of lemons. In the current study, the regulation effect of SH on the biosynthesis and content of lemon flavonoid compounds was examined using transcriptome sequencing technology and flavonoid metabolomic analysis. Following SH treatment, the transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed 320 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between samples treated with SH and control (CK) samples, some of which were associated with the phenylalanine pathway by KEGG annotation analysis. The levels of seven flavonoid compounds identified in lemon peels were observed to increase, and eriocitrin and isoorientin were identified as differential metabolites (DMs, VIP > 1) using OPLS-DA analysis. The integrated analysis of transcriptomics and flavonoid metabolomics indicates that SH treatment induces alterations in gene expression and metabolite levels related to flavonoid synthesis. Specifically, SH influences flavonoid biosynthesis by modulating the activity of key enzymes in the phenylalanine pathway, including HCT (O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase) and F5H (ferulate-5-hydroxylase). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality)
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17 pages, 7463 KiB  
Article
Combined Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology Analysis Reveal the Effect of Rootstocks on Anthocyanins, Lipids, and Potential Pharmacological Ingredients of Tarroco Blood Orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)
by Lei Yang, Shuang Li, Yang Chen, Min Wang, Jianjun Yu, Wenqin Bai and Lin Hong
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2259; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162259 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1192
Abstract
The benefits of citrus fruits are strongly associated with their secondary metabolites. In this study, we conducted widely targeted metabolomics analyses to compare the variability of the ingredients in four scion–rootstock combinations. A total of 376 differential metabolites were obtained by a multivariate [...] Read more.
The benefits of citrus fruits are strongly associated with their secondary metabolites. In this study, we conducted widely targeted metabolomics analyses to compare the variability of the ingredients in four scion–rootstock combinations. A total of 376 differential metabolites were obtained by a multivariate statistical analysis, and a KEGG pathway analysis showed that the enriched metabolic pathways were mainly related to the biosynthesis of flavonoids as well as lipid metabolism. The anthocyanin-targeted metabolomic features showed that cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3-O-(6-O-malonyl-beta-D-glucoside), cyanidin 3-O-sophoroside, and cyanidin 3-O-xyloside were the pigments responsible for the red color of Tarocco. A lipid metabolomics analysis revealed that when Tarocco was hetero-grafted with rootstock H, there was an increase in the content of each lipid subclass, accompanied by an increase in the levels of unsaturated fatty acids, including polyunsaturated linoleic and linolenic acids, thus impacting the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids. Additionally, we determined their antioxidant capacity (‘Trifoliate orange’ (Z) > ‘Citrange’ (ZC) > ‘Hongju’ (H) > ‘Ziyang Xiangcheng’ (X)) using in vitro assays. Finally, we utilized a network pharmacology analysis to explore the antioxidant mechanisms and potential pharmacological ingredients; we obtained 26 core targets proteins and 42 core metabolites associated with oxidative damage, providing a basis for future preventive and therapeutic applications of these metabolites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality)
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13 pages, 6061 KiB  
Article
Variations in Fruit Ploidy Level and Cell Size between Small- and Large-Fruited Olive Cultivars during Fruit Ontogeny
by Maria C. Camarero, Beatriz Briegas, Jorge Corbacho, Juana Labrador, Ángel-Carlos Román, Antía Verde, Mercedes Gallardo and Maria C. Gomez-Jimenez
Plants 2024, 13(7), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13070990 - 29 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1807
Abstract
Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the major oil fruit tree crops worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying olive fruit growth remain poorly understood. Here, we examine questions regarding the interaction of endoreduplication, cell division, and cell expansion with olive fruit growth [...] Read more.
Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the major oil fruit tree crops worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying olive fruit growth remain poorly understood. Here, we examine questions regarding the interaction of endoreduplication, cell division, and cell expansion with olive fruit growth in relation to the final fruit size by measuring fruit diameter, pericarp thickness, cell area, and ploidy level during fruit ontogeny in three olive cultivars with different fruit sizes. The results demonstrate that differences in the fruit size are related to the maximum growth rate between olive cultivars during early fruit growth, about 50 days post-anthesis (DPA). Differences in fruit weight between olive cultivars were found from 35 DPA, while the distinctive fruit shape became detectable from 21 DPA, even though the increase in pericarp thickness became detectable from 7 DPA in the three cultivars. During early fruit growth, intense mitotic activity appeared during the first 21 DPA in the fruit, whereas the highest cell expansion rates occurred from 28 to 42 DPA during this phase, suggesting that olive fruit cell number is determined from 28 DPA in the three cultivars. Moreover, olive fruit of the large-fruited cultivars was enlarged due to relatively higher cell division and expansion rates compared with the small-fruited cultivar. The ploidy level of olive fruit pericarp between early and late growth was different, but similar among olive cultivars, revealing that ploidy levels are not associated with cell size, in terms of different 8C levels during olive fruit growth. In the three olive cultivars, the maximum endoreduplication level (8C) occurred just before strong cell expansion during early fruit growth in fruit pericarp, whereas the cell expansion during late fruit growth occurred without preceding endoreduplication. We conclude that the basis for fruit size differences between olive cultivars is determined mainly by different cell division and expansion rates during the early fruit growth phase. These data provide new findings on the contribution of fruit ploidy and cell size to fruit size in olive and ultimately on the control of olive fruit development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality)
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20 pages, 3446 KiB  
Article
Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Provide Insights into Lipid Biosynthesis in the Embryos of Walnut (Juglans regia L.)
by Manman Liang, Xuemei Zhang, Qinglong Dong, Han Li, Suping Guo, Haoan Luan, Peng Jia, Minsheng Yang and Guohui Qi
Plants 2023, 12(3), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030538 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2763
Abstract
Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is an important woody oilseed tree species due to its commercial value. However, the regulation mechanism of walnut oil accumulation is still poorly understood, which restricted the breeding and genetic improvement of high-quality oil-bearing walnuts. In order to [...] Read more.
Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is an important woody oilseed tree species due to its commercial value. However, the regulation mechanism of walnut oil accumulation is still poorly understood, which restricted the breeding and genetic improvement of high-quality oil-bearing walnuts. In order to explore the metabolic mechanism that regulates the synthesis of walnut oil, we used transcriptome sequencing technology and metabolome technology to comprehensively analyze the key genes and metabolites involved in oil synthesis of the walnut embryo at 60, 90, and 120 days after pollination (DAP). The results showed that the oil and protein contents increased gradually during fruit development, comprising 69.61% and 18.32% of the fruit, respectively, during ripening. Conversely, the contents of soluble sugar and starch decreased gradually during fruit development, comprising 2.14% and 0.84%, respectively, during ripening. Transcriptome sequencing generated 40,631 unigenes across 9 cDNA libraries. We identified 51 and 25 candidate unigenes related to the biosynthesis of fatty acid and the biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG), respectively. The expression levels of the genes encoding Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (LACS), 3-oxoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII), and glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transfer (GPAT) were upregulated at 60 DAP relative to the levels at 90 and 120 DAP, while the stearoyl-ACP-desaturase (SAD) and fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) genes were highly abundantly expressed during all walnut developmental periods. We found that ABSCISIC ACID INSENSEITIVE3 (ABI3), WRINKLEDl (WRI1), LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1), and FUSCA3 (FUS3) may be key transcription factors involved in lipid synthesis. Additionally, the metabolomics analysis detected 706 metabolites derived from 18 samples, among which, 4 are implicated in the TAG synthesis, 2 in the glycolysis pathway, and 5 in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) pathway. The combined analysis of the related genes and metabolites in TAG synthesis showed that phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT) genes were highly abundantly expressed across walnut fruit developmental periods, and their downstream metabolite TAG gradually accumulated with the progression of fruit development. The FAD2 gene showed consistently higher expression during fruit development, and its downstream metabolites 18:2-PC and 18:3-PC gradually accumulated. The ACCase, LACS, SAD, FAD2, and PDAT genes may be crucial genes required for walnut oil synthesis. Our data will enrich public databases and provide new insights into functional genes related to lipid metabolism in walnut. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Formation Mechanism and Regulation of Fruit Quality)
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