Transcriptome analysis provides insights into the regulation of metabolic processes during postharvest cold storage of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) fruit

Abstract

Loquat fruit: Investigating spoilage during cold storage Next-generation sequencing of loquat fruit stored in different ways reveals the genes and proteins that help reduce fruit spoil. Loquat fruit become rigid and woody during cold storage, thanks to the build-up of lignin polymers in the fruit flesh. Lignification can be prevented with exposure to heat or preconditioning to cool temperatures before cold storage. Zhangjin Fei at Cornell University, New York, US, Qingbiao Wu at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, and co-workers used comparative RNA sequencing to explore the molecular mechanisms inherent in lignification. The team placed three loquat groups in post-harvest cold storage for 8 days: one pre-treated with heat, one conditioned at cool temperatures, and one with no pre-treatment. They identified key genetic differences between the groups and several protein families that may regulate lignification.