NMR revealed that trehalose enhances sucrose accumulation and alleviates chilling injury in peach fruit

Abstract

• Trehalose alleviates the effects of chilling injury in peach fruit • NMR reveals higher sucrose content in trehalose treated peaches • Trehalose treatment decreases expression of SnRK1, promoting the accumulation of sucrose • Trehalose improves the cold tolerance of peach by affecting sucrose levels Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was applied to identify the metabolic differences in trehalose-treated and -untreated peach fruit during storage at 5°C in this study. Forty-one metabolites were identified using NMR; trehalose-treated peaches had higher sucrose, proline, and choline content, and lower glucose, fructose and gluconic acid content. These metabolic changes were accompanied by lower levels of chilling injury (CI). Trehalose-treated fruit had lower levels PpSnRK1 expression, resulting in lower sucrose decomposition and higher sucrose synthesis. We suggest that accumulated sucrose in trehalose-treated peaches is associated with the decrease in expression of PpSnRK1 and increases in the expression and activity of the sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS). This probably results in the improvement of chilling resistance in peach fruit.