Distinct Carotenoid and Flavonoid Accumulation in a Spontaneous Mutant of Ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco) Results in Yellowish Fruit and Enhanced Postharvest Resistance.
As the most important fresh fruit worldwide, citrus is often subjected to huge postharvest losses caused by abiotic and biotic stresses. As a promising strategy to reduce postharvest losses, enhancing natural defense by potential metabolism reprogramming in citrus mutants has rarely been reported. The yellowish spontaneous mutant of Ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco) (YP) was used to investigate the influence of metabolism reprogramming on postharvest performance. Our results show that reduced xanthophyll accumulation is the cause of yellowish coloring of YP and might be attributed to the reduced carotenoid sequestration capacity and upregulated expression of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase genes. Constantly higher levels of polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) during the infection and the storage stage might make significant contribution to the more strongly induced resistance against Penicillium digitatum and lower rotting rate. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of applying bud mutants to improve the postharvest performance of citrus fruits.
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Tao
T
Luo
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Kunyang
K
Xu
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Yi
Y
Luo
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Jiajing
J
Chen
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Ling
L
Sheng
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Jinqiu
J
Wang
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Jingwen
J
Han
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Yunliu
Y
Zeng
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Juan
J
Xu
Quzhou Bureau of Agriculture Economic Specialty Station , Quzhou 324000, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
Jianmin
J
Chen
Quzhou Bureau of Agriculture Economic Specialty Station , Quzhou 324000, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
Qun
Q
Wu
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Yunjiang
Y
Cheng
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education) and Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement, Central Region (Ministry of Agriculture), Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan 430070, PR China.
Xiuxin
X
Deng
D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060467:Disease Resistance; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D009154:Mutation; D010407:Penicillium / Q000502:physiology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
D005419:Flavonoids; D002338:Carotenoids; D049308:Dioxygenases; C431939:carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1
C. reticulata Blanco; Penicillium digitatum; carotenoids; flavonoid; postharvest resistance; yellowish mutant