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Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest

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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 (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 19751

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. M. Teresa Sanchez-Ballesta

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Guest Editor

Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Interests: transcriptome profile; grape; high CO₂ impact; postharvest; abiotic stress; molecular biology; post harvest technology; fruit quality; plant physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Irene Romero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Interests: transcription factors; plant stress; biochemistry; genetics and molecular biology; postharvest
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The market for fruit and vegetables has been growing consistently. However, after harvest, commodities remain metabolically active and undergo ripening and senescence processes, compromising fruit quality. Furthermore, in some cases postharvest handling is limited due to the susceptibility of fruit and vegetables to develop postharvest diseases, injuries, and disorders during storage. The research in this field could contribute to minimizing waste and postharvest losses, which is a huge challenge that must be addressed urgently. In this sense, deep knowledge of the molecular mechanisms implicated in the postharvest processes could help to improve postharvest technologies for controlling physiological changes. Different works have been focused on the analysis of independent genes. However, in recent years, gene expression microarray has provided the potential for gene-expression studies during postharvest. More recently, RNA-seq in combination with bioinformatics analysis have emerged as state-of-the-art techniques for global transcriptome analysis; they are used to investigate the molecular regulatory networks underlying the responses of fruit and vegetables during postharvest storage.

This Special Issue will shed light on the molecular mechanisms related to fruit and vegetable crop quality during postharvest. We warmly welcome submissions, including original research papers and reviews, on this topic.

Dr. M. Teresa Sanchez-Ballesta
Dr. Irene Romero
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

Postharvest tecnologues
Postharvet quality
Gene expression
mRNA stability
Omics

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 4370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomic Insights on the Preventive Action of Apple (cv Granny Smith) Skin Wounding on Superficial Scald Development

by Nadia Cainelli, Cristian Forestan, Dario Angeli, Tomas Roman Villegas, Fabrizio Costa, Alessandro Botton, Angela Rasori, Claudio Bonghi and Benedetto Ruperti

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(24), 13425; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms222413425 - 14 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2321

Abstract

Superficial scald is a post-harvest chilling storage injury leading to browning of the surface of the susceptible cv Granny Smith apples. Wounding of skins has been reported to play a preventive role on scald development however its underlying molecular factors are unknown. We have artificially wounded the epidermal and sub-epidermal layers of apple skins consistently obtaining the prevention of superficial scald in the surroundings of the wounds during two independent vintages. Time course RNA-Seq analyses of the transcriptional changes in wounded versus unwounded skins revealed that two transcriptional waves occurred. An early wave included genes up-regulated by wounding already after 6 h, highlighting a specific transcriptional rearrangement of genes connected to the biosynthesis and signalling of JA, ethylene and ABA. A later transcriptional wave, occurring after three months of cold storage, included genes up-regulated exclusively in unwounded skins and was prevented from its occurrence in wounded skins. A significant portion of these genes was related to decay of tissues and to the senescence hormones ABA, JA and ethylene. Such changes suggest a wound-inducible reversed hormonal balance during post-harvest storage which may explain the local inhibition of scald in wounded tissues, an aspect that will need further studies for its mechanistic explanation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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16 pages, 2600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Ethanol Treatment on the Quality of a New Table Grape Cultivar It 681–30 Stored at Low Temperature and after a 7-Day Shelf-Life Period at 20 °C: A Molecular Approach

by Irene Romero, Maria Vazquez-Hernandez, Manuel Tornel, M. Isabel Escribano, Carmen Merodio and M. Teresa Sanchez-Ballesta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(15), 8138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22158138 - 29 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1681

Abstract

Despite the fact that many studies have examined the effectiveness of different gaseous postharvest treatments applied at low temperature to maintain table grape quality, the use of ethanol vapor has hardly been investigated. Thus, this work has studied the effectiveness of ethanol vapor-generating sachets in the maintenance of It 681–30 table grape quality, a new cultivar, during storage at low temperature and after the shelf-life period at 20 °C. To this end, various quality assessments have been carried out and the effect of the ethanol treatment on the expression of different genes (phenylpropanoids, transcription factors, PRs, and aquaporins) was determined. The results indicated that the application of ethanol vapor reduced the total decay incidence, weight loss, and the rachis browning index in It 681–30 grapes stored at 0 °C and after the shelf-life period at 20 °C, as compared to non-treated samples. Moreover, the modulation of STS7 and the different PR genes analyzed seems to play a part in the molecular mechanisms activated to cope with fungal attacks during the postharvest of It 681–30 grapes, and particularly during the shelf-life period at 20 °C. Furthermore, the expression of aquaporin transcripts was activated in samples showing higher weight loss. Although further work is needed to elucidate the role of ethanol in table grape quality, the results obtained in this work provide new insight into the transcriptional regulation triggered by ethanol treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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17 pages, 2774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Analysis of Pre-Storage 1-MCP and High CO₂-Treated ‘Madoka’ Peach Fruit Explains the Reduction in Chilling Injury and Improvement of Storage Period by Delaying Ripening

by Han Ryul Choi, Min Jae Jeong, Min Woo Baek, Jong Hang Choi, Hee Cheol Lee, Cheon Soon Jeong and Shimeles Tilahun

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(9), 4437; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22094437 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2578

Abstract

Cold storage of peach fruit at low temperatures may induce chilling injury (CI). Pre-storage 1-MCP and high CO₂ treatments were reported among the methods to ameliorate CI and reduce softening of peach fruit. However, molecular data indicating the changes associated with pre-storage 1-MCP and high CO₂ treatments during cold storage of peach fruit are insufficient. In this study, a comparative analysis of the difference in gene expression and physico-chemical properties of fruit at commercial harvest vs. stored fruit for 12 days at 0 °C (cold-stored (CS), pre-storage 1-MCP+CS, and pre-storage high CO₂+CS) were used to evaluate the variation among treatments. Several genes were differentially expressed in 1-MCP+CS- and CO₂+CS-treated fruits as compared to CS. Moreover, the physico-chemical and sensory data indicated that 1-MCP+CS and CO₂+CS suppressed CI and delayed ripening than the CS, which could lead to a longer storage period. We also identified the list of genes that were expressed commonly and exclusively in the fruit treated by 1-MCP+CS and CO₂+CS and compared them to the fruit quality parameters. An attempt was also made to identify and categorize genes related to softening, physiological changes, and other ripening-related changes. Furthermore, the transcript levels of 12 selected representative genes from the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the transcriptome analysis were confirmed via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). These results add information on the molecular mechanisms of the pre-storage treatments during cold storage of peach fruit. Understanding the genetic response of susceptible cultivars such as ‘Madoka’ to CI-reducing pre-storage treatments would help breeders release CI-resistant cultivars and could help postharvest technologists to develop more CI-reducing technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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14 pages, 4444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Varied Expression of Senescence-Associated and Ethylene-Related Genes during Postharvest Storage of Brassica Vegetables

by Yogesh Ahlawat and Tie Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(2), 839; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22020839 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3005

Abstract

The genus Brassica comprises a highly diverse range of vegetable crops varying in morphology, harvestable crop product, and postharvest shelf-life that has arisen through domestication, artificial selection and plant breeding. Previous postharvest studies on the shelf-life of Brassica species has mainly focused on the variable rates of physiological changes including respiration and transpiration. Therefore, further understanding of the molecular basis of postharvest senescence in Brassica vegetables is needed to understand its progression in improving their postharvest shelf-life. The aim of this study was to better understand the trajectory of molecular responses in senescence-associated genes but not induced by ethylene and ethylene-induced genes towards altered postharvest storage conditions. After storage at different temperatures, the expression levels of the key senescence-associated genes (SAGs) and the ethylene biosynthesis, perception, and signaling genes were quantitatively analyzed in cabbage, broccoli and kale. The expression levels of these genes were tightly linked to storage temperature and phase of senescence. Expression of ORE15, SAG12, and NAC29 were continuously increased during the twelve days of postharvest storage at room temperature. Prolonged exposure of these three vegetables to cold temperature reduced the variation in the expression levels of ORE15 and SAG12, observed as mostly decreased which resulted in limiting senescence. The transcript levels of the ethylene receptor were also decreased at lower temperature, further suggesting that decreased ethylene biosynthesis and signaling in cabbage during postharvest storage would delay the senescence mechanism. These results enhanced our understanding of the transcriptional changes in ethylene-independent SAGs and ethylene-related genes in postharvest senescence, as well as the timing and temperature sensitive molecular events associated with senescence in cabbage, broccoli and kale and this knowledge can potentially be used for the improvement of postharvest storage in Brassica vegetables. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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20 pages, 2369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptional Analysis of C-Repeat Binding Factors in Fruit of Citrus Species with Differential Sensitivity to Chilling Injury during Postharvest Storage

by Matías Salvo, Florencia Rey, Ana Arruabarrena, Giuliana Gambetta, María J. Rodrigo, Lorenzo Zacarías and Joanna Lado

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(2), 804; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22020804 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

Citrus fruit are sensitive to chilling injury (CI) during cold storage, a peel disorder that causes economic losses. C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are related to cold acclimation and tolerance in different plants. To explore the role of Citrus CBFs in fruit response to cold, an in silico study was performed, revealing three genes (CBF1, CBF2, and CBF3) whose expression in CI sensitive and tolerant cultivars was followed. Major changes occurred at the early stages of cold exposure (1–5 d). Interestingly, CBF1 was the most stimulated gene in the peel of CI-tolerant cultivars (Lisbon lemon, Star Ruby grapefruit, and Navelina orange), remaining unaltered in sensitive cultivars (Meyer lemon, Marsh grapefruit, and Salustiana orange). Results suggest a positive association of CBF1 expression with cold tolerance in Citrus cultivars (except for mandarins), whereas the expression of CBF2 or CBF3 genes did not reveal a clear relationship with the susceptibility to CI. Light avoidance during fruit growth reduced postharvest CI in most sensitive cultivars, associated with a rapid and transient enhance in the expression of the three CBFs. Results suggest that CBFs-dependent pathways mediate at least part of the cold tolerance responses in sensitive Citrus, indicating that CBF1 participates in the natural tolerance to CI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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12 pages, 3528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Ubiquitin E3 Ligase MaLUL2 Is Involved in High Temperature-Induced Green Ripening in Banana Fruit

by Wei Wei, Jian-ye Chen, Ze-xiang Zeng, Jian-fei Kuang, Wang-jin Lu and Wei Shan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(24), 9386; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21249386 - 09 Dec 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2202

Abstract

Harvested banana fruit ripened under warm temperatures above 24 °C remain green peel, leading to severe economic loss. E3 ubiquitin-ligases, as the major components in the ubiquitination pathway, have been implicated to play important roles in temperature-stress responses. However, the molecular mechanism underlying high temperature-triggered stay-green ripening bananas in association with E3 ubiquitin-ligases, remains largely unknown. In this study, a RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase termed MaLUL2, was isolated and characterized from banana fruit. The MaLUL2 gene contains 1095 nucleotides and encodes a protein with 365 amino acids. The MaLUL2 protein contains a domain associated with RING2 (DAR2) and a RING domain, which are the typical characteristics of RING-type E3 ligases. MaLUL2 expression was up-regulated during high temperature-induced green ripening. Subcellular localization showed that MaLUL2 localized in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane. MaLUL2 displayed E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro. More importantly, transient overexpression of MaLUL2 in banana fruit peel increased the level of ubiquitination in vivo and led to a stay-green phenotype, accompanying with decreased expression of chlorophyll catabolic genes. Collectively, these findings suggest that MaLUL2 might act as a negative regulator of chlorophyll degradation and provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of high temperature-induced green ripening bananas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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Review

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19 pages, 935 KiB

Open AccessReview

Table Grapes during Postharvest Storage: A Review of the Mechanisms Implicated in the Beneficial Effects of Treatments Applied for Quality Retention

by Irene Romero, Maria Vazquez-Hernandez, Isaac Maestro-Gaitan, Maria Isabel Escribano, Carmen Merodio and Maria Teresa Sanchez-Ballesta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(23), 9320; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21239320 - 07 Dec 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4599

Abstract

Table grape is a fruit with increasing interest due to its attributes and nutritional compounds. During recent years, new cultivars such as those without seeds and with new flavors have reached countries around the world. For this reason, postharvest treatments that retain fruit quality need to be improved. However, little is known to date about the biochemical and molecular mechanisms related with observed quality improvements. This review aims to examine existing literature on the different mechanisms. Special attention will be placed on molecular mechanisms which activate and regulate the different postharvest treatments applied in order to improve table grape quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Transcriptional Regulation in Crops during Postharvest)

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