EjWRKY6 Is Involved in the ABA-Induced Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Loquat Fruit during Ripening
Yan Yu,
Zeyang Bao,
Qihang Zhou,
Wei Wu,
Wei Chen,
Zhenfeng Yang,
Li Wang,
Xuewen Li,
Shifeng Cao,
Liyu Shi
Affiliations
Yan Yu
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Zeyang Bao
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Qihang Zhou
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Wei Wu
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Wei Chen
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Zhenfeng Yang
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
Li Wang
College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Xuewen Li
School of Food Science and Pharmacy, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Shifeng Cao
School of Food Science and Pharmacy, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Liyu Shi
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Food Logistic and Processing, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, China
The yellow-fleshed loquat is abundant in carotenoids, which determine the fruit’s color, provide vitamin A, and offer anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer health benefits. In this research, the impact of abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone, on carotenoid metabolism and flesh pigmentation in ripening loquat fruits was determined. Results revealed that ABA treatment enhanced the overall content of carotenoids in loquat fruit, including major components like β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and β-carotene, linked to the upregulation of most genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, a transcription factor, EjWRKY6, whose expression was induced by ABA, was identified and was thought to play a role in ABA-induced carotenoid acceleration. Transient overexpression of EjWRKY6 in Nicotiana benthamiana and stable genetic transformation in Nicotiana tabacum with EjWRKY6 indicated that both carotenoid production and genes related to carotenoid biosynthesis could be upregulated in transgenic plants. A dual-luciferase assay proposed a probable transcriptional control between EjWRKY6 and promoters of genes associated with carotenoid production. To sum up, pre-harvest ABA application could lead to carotenoid biosynthesis in loquat fruit through the EjWRKY6-induced carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.
