Transcriptomic analysis reveals hub genes and subnetworks related to ROS metabolism in Hylocereus undatus through novel superoxide scavenger trypsin treatment during storage

Abstract

Background: It was demonstrated in our previous research that trypsin scavenges superoxide anions. In this study, the mechanisms of storage quality improvement by trypsin were evaluated in H. undatus. Results: Trypsin significantly delayed the weight loss and decreased the levels of ROS and membrane lipid peroxidation. Transcriptome profiles of H. undatus treated with trypsin revealed the pathways and regulatory mechanisms of ROS genes that were up- or downregulated following trypsin treatment by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The current results showed that through the regulation of the expression of hub redox enzymes, especially thioredoxin-related proteins, trypsin can maintain low levels of endogenous active oxygen species, reduce malondialdehyde content and delay fruit aging. In addition, the results of protein-protein interaction networks suggested that the downregulated NAD(P)H and lignin pathways might be the key regulatory mechanisms governed by trypsin.Conclusions: Trypsin significantly prolonged the storage life of H. undatus through regulatory on the endogenous ROS metabolism. As a new biopreservative, trypsin is highly efficient, safe and economical. Therefore, trypsin possesses technical feasibility for the quality control of fruit storage.

Transcriptome analyses and virus‐induced gene silencing identify HuWRKY40 acting as a hub transcription factor in the preservation of Hylocereus undatus by trypsin

“…Our laboratory found that trypsin has a good fresh‐keeping effect on H. undatus . It can regulate the level of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) in H. undatus peels (Li et al, 2019, 2020; Pang et al, 2020) and inhibit the level of saturated fatty acids (Li et al, 2022; Pang et al, 2022), induce the stoma closure (Li, Li, et al, 2021), and the biosynthesis of related substances in phenylpropanoid pathways such as lignin, chlorogenic acid (Li, Zhang, et al, 2021), and flavonoids (Pang et al, 2021). It can also affect the free radical scavenging activity of flavonoids, such as DPPH and ABTS (Li et al, 2014, 2018).…”