A comparative proteomic and metabolomic analysis of the low-temperature response of a chilling-injury sensitive and a chilling-injury tolerant cultivar of green bell pepper

Abstract

Proteomic and metabolomic profiling was conducted to examine differences in the composition and abundance of proteins and metabolites in bell pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum) from a chilling-sensitive cultivar (cv. 129) and a chilling-tolerant cultivar (cv. 130) subjected to 4 °C. The obtained data presents a global view of the critical pathways involved in pepper response to chilling temperatures, and the role of key metabolites, including lipids, sugars, phenylpropane, glutathione, and vitamins. Results indicated that the differential abundance of diacylglycerol kinase, beta-glucosidase, ascorbic acid peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and the key metabolites stearidonic acid, phytosphingosine, trehalose, tetrahydrofolate play a key role in chilling tolerance in green pepper. Changes in the proteins and metabolites of cv. 130 were proportionally smaller relative to the changes in cv. 129. The chilling tolerance exhibited by cv. 130 is associated with the regulation of membrane lipid homeostasis by other metabolites, including the level of soluble sugars, antioxidants, and polyphenols. These results provide new insights into the mechanism underlying chilling tolerance in the chilling-tolerant cultivar (cv. 130) and provide a new perspective for the development of postharvest preservation technology.