Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure

Light influences fruit development and quality through two primary pathways: its effect on vegetative organs, which subsequently impacts the fruit, and its direct effect on the fruit itself. While the mechanism of the former pathway is well-documented, the direct impact of light on fruit has been le...

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Main Authors: Xuan Luo, Jiahao Wu, Hongjuan Li, Xintong Wang, Wendi Wang, Hui Li, Kunfeng Li, Songling Bai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Horticulturae
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/5/481
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author Xuan Luo
Jiahao Wu
Hongjuan Li
Xintong Wang
Wendi Wang
Hui Li
Kunfeng Li
Songling Bai
author_facet Xuan Luo
Jiahao Wu
Hongjuan Li
Xintong Wang
Wendi Wang
Hui Li
Kunfeng Li
Songling Bai
author_sort Xuan Luo
collection DOAJ
description Light influences fruit development and quality through two primary pathways: its effect on vegetative organs, which subsequently impacts the fruit, and its direct effect on the fruit itself. While the mechanism of the former pathway is well-documented, the direct impact of light on fruit has been less studied due to limitations in applying controlled light exposure to preharvest fruit. This study addresses this gap by developing a novel device that delivers fruit-specific light treatment, enabling precise light exposure without altering the light conditions of vegetative tissues. The integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics reveals that light can directly affect the growth and development of fruits and the formation of quality, independent of the vegetative organs. Our findings reveal distinct regulatory patterns for primary and secondary metabolites during maturation. Direct light exposure activates primary metabolites and photosynthetic gene expression, though this effect diminishes as the fruit matures. Conversely, light enhances secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, and their associated gene expressions, maintaining consistent activation throughout development and leading to higher accumulation during maturation. This study provides the first transcriptomic and metabolomic characterization of grape berries exposed to fruit-specific light treatment, advancing our understanding of light-dependent fruit development and quality formation mechanisms.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2311-7524
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Horticulturae
spelling doaj-art-d50ef0a6e54443218cb4c834f2b2c5692025-08-20T03:14:46ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-04-0111548110.3390/horticulturae11050481Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light ExposureXuan Luo0Jiahao Wu1Hongjuan Li2Xintong Wang3Wendi Wang4Hui Li5Kunfeng Li6Songling Bai7College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaAgricultural Experiment Station, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaAgricultural Experiment Station, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaLight influences fruit development and quality through two primary pathways: its effect on vegetative organs, which subsequently impacts the fruit, and its direct effect on the fruit itself. While the mechanism of the former pathway is well-documented, the direct impact of light on fruit has been less studied due to limitations in applying controlled light exposure to preharvest fruit. This study addresses this gap by developing a novel device that delivers fruit-specific light treatment, enabling precise light exposure without altering the light conditions of vegetative tissues. The integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics reveals that light can directly affect the growth and development of fruits and the formation of quality, independent of the vegetative organs. Our findings reveal distinct regulatory patterns for primary and secondary metabolites during maturation. Direct light exposure activates primary metabolites and photosynthetic gene expression, though this effect diminishes as the fruit matures. Conversely, light enhances secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, and their associated gene expressions, maintaining consistent activation throughout development and leading to higher accumulation during maturation. This study provides the first transcriptomic and metabolomic characterization of grape berries exposed to fruit-specific light treatment, advancing our understanding of light-dependent fruit development and quality formation mechanisms.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/5/481grapelightfruit qualityphotosynthesistranscriptomemetabolome
spellingShingle Xuan Luo
Jiahao Wu
Hongjuan Li
Xintong Wang
Wendi Wang
Hui Li
Kunfeng Li
Songling Bai
Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
Horticulturae
grape
light
fruit quality
photosynthesis
transcriptome
metabolome
title Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
title_full Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
title_fullStr Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
title_full_unstemmed Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
title_short Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Profiles Identifies Distinct Dynamic Changes in Primary and Secondary Metabolites in Grape Berries Under Fruit-Specific Light Exposure
title_sort integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles identifies distinct dynamic changes in primary and secondary metabolites in grape berries under fruit specific light exposure
topic grape
light
fruit quality
photosynthesis
transcriptome
metabolome
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/5/481
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