Persimmon Research Articles

Effects of Different Chemicals on Sexual Regulation in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Flowers

Research on crop sexuality is important for establishing systems for germplasm innovation and cultivating improved varieties. In this study, androecious persimmon trees were treated with various concentrations of ethrel (100, 500, and 1,000 mg/L) and zeatin (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) to investigate the morphological, physiological, and molecular characteristics of persimmon. Ethrel at 1,000 mg/L and zeatin at 10 mg/L both significantly reduced the stamen length and pollen grain diameter in androecious trees. Ethrel treatment also led to reduced stamen development with degenerated cellular contents; zeatin treatment promoted the development of arrested pistils via maintaining relatively normal mitochondrial morphology. Both treatments altered carbohydrate, amino acid, and endogenous phytohormone contents, as well as genes associated with hormone production and floral organ development. Thereafter, we explored the combined effects of four chemicals, including ethrel and zeatin, as well as zebularine and 5-azacytidine, both of which are DNA methylation inhibitors, on androecious persimmon flower development. Morphological comparisons showed that stamen length, pollen viability, and pollen grain diameter were significantly inhibited after combined treatment. Large numbers of genes involving in carbohydrate metabolic, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and ribosome pathways, and metabolites including uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cyclamic acid were identified in response to the treatment, indicating complex regulatory mechanisms. An association analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data indicated that ribosomal genes have distinct effects on UMP and cyclamic acid metabolites, explaining how male floral buds of androecious persimmon trees respond to these exogenous chemicals. These findings extend the knowledge concerning sexual differentiation in persimmon; they also provide a theoretical basis for molecular breeding, high-yield cultivation, and quality improvement in persimmon.

DRIS Norms and Sufficiency Ranges for Persimmon ‘Rojo Brillante’ Grown under Mediterranean Conditions in Spain

The aim of this study was to establish DRIS (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System) norms and Nutritional Optimal Ranges (NOR) for ‘Rojo Brillante’ Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ‘Ribera del Xúquer’. The database contained 800 leaf samples collected in different crop phenological stages [after flowering (AF), fruit enlargement (FE), fruit colouring (FC), and harvesting HV)]. DRIS norms (78) were established for macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S; micronutrients B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn and salinity elements: Na and Cl. The Nutrient Balance Index (NBI; the absolute value of the sum of the DRIS indices) was used to determine the optimal sampling period. Fruit enlargement was the period during which persimmon trees were more nutritionally balanced regardless of sprout origin (vegetative or floral) and irrigation type (drip or flood) in orchards

Innovative Approach for Controlling Black Rot of Persimmon Fruits by Means of Nanobiotechnology from Nanochitosan and Rosmarinic Acid-Mediated Selenium Nanoparticles.

The protection of persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki L.) from postharvest fungal infestation with Alternaria alternata (A. alternate; black rot) is a major agricultural and economic demand worldwide. Edible coatings (ECs) based on biopolymers and phytocompounds were proposed to maintain fruit quality, especially with nanomaterials’ applications. Chitosan nanoparticles (NCt), rosmarinic acid bio-mediated selenium nanoparticles (RA/SeNPs) and their composites were produced, characterized and evaluated as ECs for managing persimmon black rot. The constructed NCt, RA/SeNPs and NCt/RA/SeNPs composite had diminished particles’ size diameters. The ECs solution of 1% NCt and NCt/RA/SeNPs composite led to a significant reduction of A. alternata radial growth in vitro, with 77.4 and 97.2%, respectively. The most powerful ECs formula contained 10 mg/mL from NCt/RA/SeNPs composite, which significantly reduced fungal growth than imazalil fungicide. The coating of persimmon with nanoparticles-based ECs resulted in a significant reduction of black rot disease severity and incidence in artificially infected fruits; the treatment with 1% of NCt/RA/SeNPs could completely (100%) hinder disease incidence and severity in coated fruits, whereas imazalil reduced them by 88.6 and 73.4%, respectively. The firmness of fruits is greatly augmented after ECs treatments, particularly with formulated coatings with 1% NCt/RA/SeNPs composite, which maintain fruits firmness by 85.7%. The produced ECs in the current study, based on NCt/RA/SeNPs composite, are greatly recommended as innovatively constructed human-friendly matrix to suppress the postharvest destructive fungi (A. alternata) and maintain the shelf-life and quality of persimmon fruits.

Convergent and divergent regulations of ethylene and abscisic acid biosynthesis during persimmon fruit postharvest ripening

Phytohormones are signaling molecules produced by plants and play pivotal roles in various physiological and developmental processes. Ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) are usually considered to have separate roles in regulating fruit ripening and co-regulation involving both hormones have rarely been investigated. Here, similar changes in ethylene and ABA were observed underlying postharvest persimmon ripening. High CO2 (95% CO2, 1% O2) and high CO2 + 1-methylcyclopropene (CO2 + 1-MCP) are two widely used commercial deastringency treatments for persimmon, which accumulate acetaldehyde by anaerobic metabolism to precipitate astringent soluble tannins. Unexpectedly, CO2 treatment triggered the accumulation of both ethylene and ABA. This could be inhibited by CO2 + 1-MCP, which also prevented CO2-driven rapid softening. Three differentially expressed genes, DkACS1, DkNCED1 + 3′ and DkNCED2 + 3′ involved in ethylene and ABA synthesis were identified, but none of the differentially expressed transcription factors tested showed any obvious transactivation effects on their gene promoters. RNA binding protein DkRBM24–1 was shown to regulate the transcription of DkACS1 and DkNCED2 + 3′ by binding to the 3′UTR region of their mRNA. Further analysis indicated that DkbHLH11 was able to activate the expression of DkNCED1 + 3′ after phosphorylation by protein kinase DkMAPKKK1. Overall, the present study indicated the ethylene and ABA production in ripening fruit have both shared (DkRBM24–1) and distinct (DkbHLH11) regulators.

An Efficient Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation System for Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.)

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is an important fruit crop in East Asia and has great commercial potential due to the high demand for fresh edible fruits or processed dried persimmon, as well as its being a source of raw materials for the chemical industry. Genetic engineering has shown great potential in persimmon fruit improvement and compensated for the limitations of conventional breeding. In this study, we developed an efficient transformation system and in vivo regeneration protocol by using the leaf disc culture of ‘Gongcheng Shuishi’ persimmon through the optimization of different basic media and hormone combinations. Based on the secondary induction system on 1/2DKW (DKW medium) + ZT (2.0 mg/L) + TDZ (0.5 mg/L) and MS (1/2 N) + ZT (2.0 mg/L) + IAA (0.1 mg/L), the callus induction rate and adventitious bud induction rate were 96.0% and 94.0%, respectively, and RNA interference of DkANR (ANR, anthocyanidin reductase) was achieved after transformation, thus resulting in a reduction in proanthocyanidin accumulation. The GFP (green fluorescent protein) fluorescence signal was visualized in the transgenic seedlings with GFP gene cotransformation. A total of 17.9% of the positive regenerated transgenic seedlings with empty vector were confirmed by both hyg gene and 35S promoter PCR analysis. Southern blotting assays showed that 20 positive transgenic persimmon seedlings were obtained from 135 regenerated transformants derived from DkANRi. Altogether, a reliable and highly efficient transformation system was achieved in persimmon, which may contribute to gene function identification and genetic improvement in the future.

Insights into acylation mechanisms: co-expression of serine carboxypeptidase-like acyltransferases and their non-catalytic companion paralogs.

SUMMARYSerine carboxypeptidase‐like acyltransferases (SCPL‐ATs) play a vital role in the diversification of plant metabolites. Galloylated flavan‐3‐ols highly accumulate in tea (Camellia sinensis), grape (Vitis vinifera), and persimmon (Diospyros kaki). To date, the biosynthetic mechanism of these compounds remains unknown. Herein, we report that two SCPL‐AT paralogs are involved in galloylation of flavan‐3‐ols: CsSCPL4, which contains the conserved catalytic triad S‐D‐H, and CsSCPL5, which has the alternative triad T‐D‐Y. Integrated data from transgenic plants, recombinant enzymes, and gene mutations showed that CsSCPL4 is a catalytic acyltransferase, while CsSCPL5 is a non‐catalytic companion paralog (NCCP). Co‐expression of CsSCPL4 and CsSCPL5 is likely responsible for the galloylation. Furthermore, pull‐down and co‐immunoprecipitation assays showed that CsSCPL4 and CsSCPL5 interact, increasing protein stability and promoting post‐translational processing. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses revealed that their homologs co‐exist in galloylated flavan‐3‐ol‐ or hydrolyzable tannin‐rich plant species. Enzymatic assays further revealed the necessity of co‐expression of those homologs for acyltransferase activity. Evolution analysis revealed that the mutations of the CsSCPL5 catalytic residues may have taken place about 10 million years ago. These findings show that the co‐expression of SCPL‐ATs and their NCCPs contributes to the acylation of flavan‐3‐ols in the plant kingdom.

The potential for sustainable harvest of Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.) fruits at Pea Ridge National Military Park

Background: The large, sweet fruits of the Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.) have a long history as a wild-harvested food in the eastern United States, by both Indigenous people and European settlers. However, little is known about the sustainability of persimmon fruit harvest. Persimmon fruits are a culturally important food for the Osage Nation. Pea Ridge National Military Park (hereafter PERI) is within the Osage ancestral territory Methods: We examine the sustainability of persimmon fruit harvest through field surveys of fruit production and the application of the United Plant Savers “At-Risk Assessment Tool”, which assesses the risk of overharvesting wild plants. Our field work to determine persimmon fruit yield was conducted at PERI in response to a National Park Service’s (NPS) 2016 rule which provides a pathway for Native American tribes, the Osage Nation in our case, to collect culturally important plants from NPS land if harvest is sustainable. Results: Combining our field surveys of fruit production with NPS data on persimmon tree density and potential persimmon habitat at PERI, we estimate annual fruit production of about 143,000 persimmon fruits, or about 1,990 kg (4100 lbs.) at PERI. Persimmon fruit harvest has a low risk of overharvest, with an At-Risk score of 19 on a scale with a max score of 96 (highest risk). Conclusions: An annual harvest of 9-15 kgs (~20-30 lbs.) of persimmon fruit by the Osage at PERI (< 1% of total estimated yield), would be sustainable and help promote traditional Osage practices of collecting, preserving, and eating persimmons. Keywords: persimmon, sustainable harvest, At-Risk assessment, Pea Ridge, ethnobotany

Effect of cultivation conditions and electrolyzed hydrogen water treatment on black staining in ‘Taishu’ persimmon fruit

Effect of cultivation conditions and electrolyzed hydrogen water treatment on black staining in ‘Taishu’ persimmon fruit

Effect of storage temperature on development of chilling injury and its transcriptome analysis in ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit with or without 1-MCP treatment

Effect of storage temperature on development of chilling injury and its transcriptome analysis in ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit with or without 1-MCP treatment

Ethylene production trend in young ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit during attachment to or detachment from the tree

Ethylene production trend in young ‘Fuyu’ persimmon fruit during attachment to or detachment from the tree

Phenotypic evaluation of shape diversity in persimmon fruit using two- and three-dimensional imaging

Phenotypic evaluation of shape diversity in persimmon fruit using two- and three-dimensional imaging

Distribution of tannin cells in persimmon tree and the basic chemical composition of tannins in calluses derived from persimmon leaflets

Distribution of tannin cells in persimmon tree and the basic chemical composition of tannins in calluses derived from persimmon leaflets

Radioactive cesium contamination in persimmon tree after Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident – the difference of radioactive cesium concentration of fruit on each branch in the same tree

Radioactive cesium contamination in persimmon tree after Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident – the difference of radioactive cesium concentration of fruit on each branch in the same tree

Ripening process study in persimmon (D. kaki) fruits on tree focused in ethylene

Ripening process study in persimmon (<i>D. kaki</i>) fruits on tree focused in ethylene

Anatomical and histochemical study of abscission process in Japanese persimmon fruit at young fruit stage

Anatomical and histochemical study of abscission process in Japanese persimmon fruit at young fruit stage

Chemical compositions and in vitro antifungal activities of essential oils obtained from different Origanum species against postharvest gray mold rot of persimmon fruit

ISHS VII International Symposium on Persimmon Chemical compositions and in vitro antifungal activities of essential oils obtained from different Origanum species against postharvest gray mold rot of persimmon fruit

Comparison of mineral content in persimmon fruits grown in Afghanistan

Comparison of mineral content in persimmon fruits grown in Afghanistan

Anatomical and histochemical studies of separation process on the juncture between calyx and fruit tissues on Japanese persimmon fruits

Anatomical and histochemical studies of separation process on the juncture between calyx and fruit tissues on Japanese persimmon fruits

Effects of leaves and trunk selenium application on selenium enrichment and quality of persimmon fruits

Effects of leaves and trunk selenium application on selenium enrichment and quality of persimmon fruits

Effect of dried Persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki) on acute carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in laboratory rats

Effect of dried Persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki) on acute carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in laboratory rats