Integrated analysis of high-throughput sequencing data shows abscisic acid-responsive genes and miRNAs in strawberry receptacle fruit ripening

Abstract

Crop genetics: pathways to ripe strawberries Researchers in China have uncovered the genetic factors through which the plant hormone ABA controls strawberry ripening. Zisheng Luo’s team at Zhejiang University used high-throughput sequencing to compare gene expression in strawberry plants after they were treated with ABA or an ABA-blocker. They discovered that ABA changes the expression of genes related to other hormones, metabolite synthesis, and breaking down cell walls. The team also checked the expression of short RNA molecules which regulate gene expression, known as microRNAs (miRNAs). They found 26 miRNAs which changed expression in response to ABA, six of which were novel, and identified 18 genes regulated by these miRNAs, including a cell wall gene which may be involved in fruit enlargement. These findings clarify the molecular mechanisms linking ABA with strawberry ripening and lay the groundwork for detailed functional studies.