Abstract
Rapid loss of firmness of ‘France’ prune after harvest limits the commercial potential of the fruit. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the potential mechanism by which near-freezing temperature (NFT) maintains fruit quality and delays the softening of ‘France’ prune. We found NFT maintained higher fruit firmness (91.34 %), delayed the decomposition of cellulose (53.87 %) and hemicellulose (41.41 %), and inhibited the activity of softening-related enzymes compared with the control group. RNA-sequencing data showed that 4984 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the control group (CK30)-vs-NFT group (B30) comparison. These DEGs are mainly involved in plant hormone signal transduction, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, galactose metabolism, and the pentose-glucuronate interconversion pathway. By screening and identifying DEGs, we found that the PG, PME, CEL, ACS, PER, UGT, and transcription factor (TF) genes (NAC089, ERF026, and NAC083) may be involved in the softening of ‘France’ prune. In conclusion, NFT delays the softening of ‘France’ prune likely by regulating the expression of related genes and metabolic pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of NFT-mediated delay of ‘France’ prune fruit softening.
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