Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Dynamic Changes in Glutathione and Ascorbic Acid Content in Mango Pulp across Growth and Development Stages
Hassam Tahir,
Muhammad Sajjad,
Minjie Qian,
Muhammad Zeeshan Ul Haq,
Ashar Tahir,
Tiantian Chen,
Shi Shaopu,
Muhammad Aamir Farooq,
Wei Ling,
Kaibing Zhou
Affiliations
Hassam Tahir
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Muhammad Sajjad
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Minjie Qian
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Muhammad Zeeshan Ul Haq
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Ashar Tahir
College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Tiantian Chen
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Shi Shaopu
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Muhammad Aamir Farooq
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Wei Ling
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Kaibing Zhou
School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Mango (Mangifera indica) is a highly valuable horticultural crop known for its quality and productivity. This study investigates the dynamic changes in physicochemical properties and glutathione and ascorbic acid metabolic pathways in mango pulp across various growth and development stages over two consecutive years (2021–2022 and 2022–2023) by transcriptomic analysis. Overall, the results demonstrate that during different ripening periods, the pulp shows increased levels of total soluble solids, relative conductivity, glutathione, and enzymes, while titratable acidity, malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, and ascorbic acid contents decreased. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis identified key differentially expressed genes from the glutathione and ascorbic acid metabolic pathways and validated them with qRT-PCR. In different comparisons, a total of 1776, 2513, and 828 DEGs were identified in 30 vs. 60, 30 vs. 90, and 60 vs. 90 days after flowering, respectively. Among them, seven DEGs were primarily enriched in relevant pathways, which included ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbate oxidase, glutathione peroxidase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, glutathione transferases, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The upregulation of these genes indicates that glutathione and AsA respond well to scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintain normal functioning in plants. This research sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of glutathione and ascorbic acid dynamic changes in mango pulp, providing valuable insights into the regulation of antioxidant and metabolic pathways during fruit growth and development.
