Identifying gene regulatory networks of senescence in postharvest broccoli (Brassica oleracea)

Abstract

The facts of postharvest food loss and waste and the resulting consequences affect us in many ways, ranging from important economic and social issues to lasting and detrimental environmental problems. We are using genomic tools to understand senescence in postharvest broccoli florets when stored at room temperature or 4 °C. The RNA-sequencing approaches provide key insights into the gradual changes in transcriptome profiling in broccoli during postharvest storage. Identification of those key factors could lead to a better understanding of gene regulation of postharvest senescence. Those genes could serve as 'freshness-indicators' that have the potential to mediate senescence and to generate germplasm for breeding new varieties with longer shelf-life in Brassica vegetables. Such a tool would also allow a new level of postharvest logistics based on physiological age, supporting improved availability of high-quality, nutritious, fresh vegetables and fruits.