Sodium Hydrosulfide Induces Resistance Against Penicillium expansum in Apples by Regulating Hydrogen Peroxide and Nitric Oxide Activation of Phenylpropanoid Metabolism

Abstract

As a multifunctional signaling molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been reported to induce plant responses to a variety of abiotic stresses. However, there are no reports on H2S treatment inducing resistance in apples against Penicillium expansum, a biotic factor, and its possible mechanism of action. In this study, fumigating apples with 5 mM sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), the exogenous donor of H2S, for 12 h reduced the diameter of lesions in fruit colonized by P. expansum. NaHS treatment markedly promoted the synthesis of endogenous H2S, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and nitrogen oxide (NO). In vivo NaHS treatment enhanced the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase, p-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase isoenzymes, caffeoyl-CoA-O-methyltransferase, caffeic acid-O-methyltransferase, ferulic acid-5-hydroxylase, cinnamyl-CoA reductase, and cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase. The treatment also facilitated the production of specific phenolic acids, such as cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid; total phenolic compounds; p-coumaryl alcohol; coniferyl alcohol; sinapyl alcohol; and lignin. NaHS treatment induced resistance against P. expansum in apples through H2O2- and NO-mediated activation of phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Persulfidome of Sweet Pepper Fruits during Ripening: The Case Study of Leucine Aminopeptidase That Is Positively Modulated by H2S

“…In fact, H 2 S is exogenously applied to vegetables and fruits using donors such as NaHS since it exerts positive effects. For example, in spinach, H 2 S increases resistance to drought [ 53 ]; in lettuce, it increases shoot elongation [ 54 ]; in ginger, it alleviates the toxic effects of cadmium by increasing the activity of different antioxidant enzymes [ 55 ]; in banana, it reduces chilling injury during postharvest [ 56 , 57 , 58 ]; in strawberry, H 2 S prolongs the shelf-life and reduces the decay rate of harvested fruits [ 59 , 60 ]; in cold-stored peaches, H 2 S regards fruit softening and avoid flesh browning [ 61 , 62 ]; and in apples, it promotes resistance against Penicillium expansum [ 63 ].…”

Impact of vanillin on postharvest disease control of apple

“…On the one hand, the long-term use of chemical fungicides can develop fungicide resistance in pathogens. On the other hand, chemical fungicides can cause environmental pollution and pose hazards to human health ( Deng et al, 2021 ; Dou et al, 2021 ). Therefore, it has broad application prospects to develop environmental-friendly, low-cost, and sustainable postharvest disease control methods.…”