title: Extensive metabolic cross-talk in melon fruit revealed by spatial and developmental combinatorial metabolomics.
abstract: • Variations in tissue development and spatial composition have a major impact on the nutritional and organoleptic qualities of ripe fleshy fruit, including melon (Cucumis melo). To gain a deeper insight into the mechanisms involved in these changes, we identified key metabolites for rational food quality design. • The metabolome, volatiles and mineral elements were profiled employing an unprecedented range of complementary analytical technologies. Fruits were followed at a number of time points during the final ripening process and tissues were collected across the fruit flesh from rind to seed cavity. Approximately 2000 metabolite signatures and 15 mineral elements were determined in an assessment of temporal and spatial melon fruit development. • This study design enabled the identification of: coregulated hubs (including aspartic acid, 2-isopropylmalic acid, β-carotene, phytoene and dihydropseudoionone) in metabolic association networks; global patterns of coordinated compositional changes; and links of primary and secondary metabolism to key mineral and volatile fruit complements. • The results reveal the extent of metabolic interactions relevant to ripe fruit quality and thus have enabled the identification of essential candidate metabolites for the high-throughput screening of melon breeding populations for targeted breeding programmes aimed at nutrition and flavour improvement.
authors.affiliation: INRA-UMR 619 Biologie du Fruit, Centre INRA de Bordeaux, Villenave d'Ornon, France. moing@bordeaux.inra.fr
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moing
authors.forename: Asaph
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aharoni
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biais
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rogachev
authors.forename: Sagit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meir
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: J William
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Allwood
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erban
authors.forename: Warwick B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Sjaak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.forename: Ric C H
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Vos
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jonker
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mumm
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deborde
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maucourt
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernillon
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gibon
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Husted
authors.forename: Royston
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodacre
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopka
authors.forename: Jan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Schjoerring
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rolin
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019662:Cucurbitaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors