title: Interference with ethylene perception at receptor level sheds light on auxin and transcriptional circuits associated with the climacteric ripening of apple fruit (Malus x domestica Borkh.).
abstract: Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) is a model species for studying the metabolic changes that occur at the onset of ripening in fruit crops, and the physiological mechanisms that are governed by the hormone ethylene. In this study, to dissect the climacteric interplay in apple, a multidisciplinary approach was employed. To this end, a comprehensive analysis of gene expression together with the investigation of several physiological entities (texture, volatilome and content of polyphenolic compounds) was performed throughout fruit development and ripening. The transcriptomic profiling was conducted with two microarray platforms: a dedicated custom array (iRIPE) and a whole genome array specifically enriched with ripening-related genes for apple (WGAA). The transcriptomic and phenotypic changes following the application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene inhibitor leading to important modifications in overall fruit physiology, were also highlighted. The integrative comparative network analysis showed both negative and positive correlations between ripening-related transcripts and the accumulation of specific metabolites or texture components. The ripening distortion caused by the inhibition of ethylene perception, in addition to affecting the ethylene pathway, stimulated the de-repression of auxin-related genes, transcription factors and photosynthetic genes. Overall, the comprehensive repertoire of results obtained here advances the elucidation of the multi-layered climacteric mechanism of fruit ripening, thus suggesting a possible transcriptional circuit governed by hormones and transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tadiello
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Longhi
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moretto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, Verona, 37134, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, Verona, 37134, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tononi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Bologna University, Via Fanin 46, Bologna, 40127, Italy.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farneti
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Bologna University, Via Fanin 46, Bologna, 40127, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busatto
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Urska
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vrhovsek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, Verona, 37134, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra Dal
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, Verona, 37134, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avanzato
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biasioli
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cappellin
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Padova University, Viale Giuseppe Colombo 3, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trainotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, Verona, 37134, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delledonne
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via Mach 1, 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D027845:Malus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005030:Ethylenes; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010940:Plant Proteins; C412563:1-methylcyclopropene
keywords: apple; correlation analysis network; ethylene; fruit ripening; hormonal interplay; transcription regulation