Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>

To understand ester compound biosynthesis in kiwifruit, two Actinidia species with distinct characteristics were compared. The firmness of Donghong (<i>Actinidia chinensis</i>) and Ganlv-1 (<i>Actinidia eriantha</i>) fruits gradually decreased as the fruit ripened after harve...

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Main Authors: Qing Cao, Zhenyu Huang, Jinyin Chen, Zengyu Gan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Agronomy
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2965
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author Qing Cao
Zhenyu Huang
Jinyin Chen
Zengyu Gan
author_facet Qing Cao
Zhenyu Huang
Jinyin Chen
Zengyu Gan
author_sort Qing Cao
collection DOAJ
description To understand ester compound biosynthesis in kiwifruit, two Actinidia species with distinct characteristics were compared. The firmness of Donghong (<i>Actinidia chinensis</i>) and Ganlv-1 (<i>Actinidia eriantha</i>) fruits gradually decreased as the fruit ripened after harvest, whereas the total soluble solids increased continuously, reaching a peak on the 8th day. The Ganlv-1 fruit ester content was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits at the optimal eating stage, and the alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) activity in the Ganlv-1 fruits was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits. The gene expression levels of <i>AAT1</i> and <i>AAT17</i> in the Donghong fruits were significantly higher than in the Ganlv-1 fruits, with a particularly remarkable difference observed for <i>AAT1,</i> which exhibited a 36-fold higher expression in the Donghong fruits when compared with the fully ripened Ganlv-1 fruits. A transient overexpression of the <i>AAT1</i> gene in the kiwifruit led to a significant increase in ester content. Interestingly, a natural variation was observed in the promoter sequence of <i>AAT1</i> between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 cultivars. Furthermore, separate analyses of the respective promoter activities revealed significantly higher activity levels in the Donghong fruits than in the Ganlv-1 fruits. In conclusion, a natural variation in the <i>AAT1</i> promoter is primarily responsible for the disparity in <i>AAT1</i> gene expression between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 fruits, resulting in a divergent accumulation of ester aroma compounds during the postharvest ripening stages.
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spelling doaj-art-adeecef5bf91431f8dd9515fdf5a53622025-08-20T02:00:55ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-12-011412296510.3390/agronomy14122965Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>Qing Cao0Zhenyu Huang1Jinyin Chen2Zengyu Gan3Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Postharvest Storage and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaNational Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450009, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Postharvest Storage and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Postharvest Storage and Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, ChinaTo understand ester compound biosynthesis in kiwifruit, two Actinidia species with distinct characteristics were compared. The firmness of Donghong (<i>Actinidia chinensis</i>) and Ganlv-1 (<i>Actinidia eriantha</i>) fruits gradually decreased as the fruit ripened after harvest, whereas the total soluble solids increased continuously, reaching a peak on the 8th day. The Ganlv-1 fruit ester content was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits at the optimal eating stage, and the alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) activity in the Ganlv-1 fruits was significantly lower than in the Donghong fruits. The gene expression levels of <i>AAT1</i> and <i>AAT17</i> in the Donghong fruits were significantly higher than in the Ganlv-1 fruits, with a particularly remarkable difference observed for <i>AAT1,</i> which exhibited a 36-fold higher expression in the Donghong fruits when compared with the fully ripened Ganlv-1 fruits. A transient overexpression of the <i>AAT1</i> gene in the kiwifruit led to a significant increase in ester content. Interestingly, a natural variation was observed in the promoter sequence of <i>AAT1</i> between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 cultivars. Furthermore, separate analyses of the respective promoter activities revealed significantly higher activity levels in the Donghong fruits than in the Ganlv-1 fruits. In conclusion, a natural variation in the <i>AAT1</i> promoter is primarily responsible for the disparity in <i>AAT1</i> gene expression between the Donghong and Ganlv-1 fruits, resulting in a divergent accumulation of ester aroma compounds during the postharvest ripening stages.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2965kiwifruitester content<i>AAT1</i>promoternatural variation
spellingShingle Qing Cao
Zhenyu Huang
Jinyin Chen
Zengyu Gan
Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
Agronomy
kiwifruit
ester content
<i>AAT1</i>
promoter
natural variation
title Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
title_full Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
title_fullStr Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
title_full_unstemmed Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
title_short Natural Variation in the <i>AAT1</i> Promoter Is Responsible for the Disparity in Ester Aroma Between <i>Actinidia chinensis</i> and <i>Actinidia eriantha</i>
title_sort natural variation in the i aat1 i promoter is responsible for the disparity in ester aroma between i actinidia chinensis i and i actinidia eriantha i
topic kiwifruit
ester content
<i>AAT1</i>
promoter
natural variation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2965
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