No abstract

Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) was chosen as a model to shed light on the physiological role of jasmonates (JAs) during fruit ripening. To this aim, the effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ, 0.40 mM) and propyl dihydrojasmonate (PDJ, 0.22 mM), applied in planta at different fruit developmental stages, on the time-course of ethylene production and fruit quality traits were evaluated. MJ-induced changes in fruit transcriptome at harvest and the expression profiling of relevant JA-responsive genes were analysed in control and JA-treated fruit. Exogenously applied JAs affected the onset of ripening depending upon the fruit developmental stage, with PDJ being more active than MJ. Both compounds enhanced the transcription of allene oxide synthase (PpAOS1), the first specific enzyme in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid, and altered the pattern of jasmonic acid accumulation. Microarray transcriptome profiling showed that MJ down-regulated some ripening-related genes, such as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (PpACO1) and polygalacturonase (PG), and the transcriptional modulator IAA7. MJ also altered the expression of cell wall-related genes, namely pectate lyase (PL) and expansins (EXPs), and up-regulated several stress-related genes, including some of those involved in JA biosynthesis. Time-course expression profiles of PpACO1, PL, PG, PpExp1, and the transcription factor LIM confirmed the array results. Thus, in peach fruit, exogenous JAs led to a ripening delay due to an interference with ripening- and stress/defence-related genes, as reflected in the transcriptome of treated fruit at harvest.

The effects of n-propyl dihydrojasmonate (PDJ), which is a jasmonic acid derivative, on 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase activities, their gene expressions, and ethylene productions in ‘La France’ pears (Pyrus communis L.) were investigated. The fruit was harvested 156 days after full bloom, stored at 4 °C for 15 days, ripened at 20 °C, and then dipped into 0.39 mm PDJ solution at the preclimacteric stage (0 day of ripening at 20 °C) or the climacteric stage (9 days of ripening at 20 °C). In the skin of the PDJ-treated fruit at the preclimacteric stage, the expressions of ACC synthase (ACS)1 and ACC oxidase (ACO)1 were higher than the expressions of those in the untreated control. Ethylene production also increased in the PDJ-treated fruit. In contrast, the accumulation of the ACS1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in the skin and an increase of ethylene production were observed in the untreated control fruit at the climacteric stage, although the levels of mRNAs hybridized with ACO1 were not different between the PDJ-treated fruit and untreated control. The endogenous jasmonic acid levels in the skin increased in the PDJ-treated fruit regardless of the application times of PDJ. These results indicate that ACS1 may be an ACC synthase gene that is induced by jasmonates in pears, and that system 2 ethylene may be regulated by jasmonates.

No abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA), phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), and epi-dihydrophaseic acid (epi-DPA) were quantified in developing fruit and seeds of sweet cherry using each deuterium-labeled internal standard. ABA concentrations in the pulp were low at the early stage of fruit development, reached to the maximum before maturation, and subsequently declined during maturation. The significant increase of ABA after 29 days after full bloom (DAFB) coincides with the softening suggests that ABA may play a role to induce fruit maturation in sweet cherries. ABA metabolite levels were high at the immature stage and decreased with fruit maturation. This fact suggests that fruit may not need ABA in the early stage of fruit development. It was considered that DPA may be the major metabolite of ABA since the concentrations were higher than PA and epi-DPA at all stages of fruit development. ABA concentrations increased at the beginning of seed maturation and then decreased toward harvest. This decrease may be necessary to end seed dormancy. DPA in seeds changed similarly with ABA but its concentrations were always higher than those of ABA.