VvPL15 Is the Core Member of the Pectate Lyase Gene Family Involved in Grape Berries Ripening and Softening

Abstract

The process of ripening and softening in grape begins at veraison and is closely related to the depolymerization of pectin components. A variety of enzymes are involved in pectin metabolism and one class of enzyme, pectin lyases (PLs), have been reported to play an important role in softening in many fruits; however, little information is available on the VvPL gene family in grape. In this study, 16 VvPL genes were identified in the grape genome using bioinformatics methods. Among them, VvPL5, VvPL9, and VvPL15 had the highest expression levels during grape ripening, which suggests that these genes are involved in grape ripening and softening. Furthermore, overexpression of VvPL15 affects the contents of water-soluble pectin (WSP) and acid-soluble pectin (ASP) in the leaves of Arabidopsis and significantly changes the growth of Arabidopsis plants. The relationship between VvPL15 and pectin content was further determined by antisense expression of VvPL15. In addition, we also studied the effect of VvPL15 on fruit in transgenic tomato plants, which showed that VvPL15 accelerated fruit ripening and softening. Our results indicate that VvPL15 plays an important role in grape berry softening during ripening by depolymerizing pectin.

Phenolic, Amino Acid, Mineral, and Vitamin Contents during Berry Development in ‘Italia’ and ‘Bronx Seedless’ Grape Cultivars

“…This is in line with prior studies highlighting the influence of grape variety on amino acid composition and its implications for wine flavor, as noted by Murillo-Peña et al [23] and Moukarzel et al [24]. Moreover, the observed changes in amino acid content emphasize the necessity of precise harvesting decisions to ensure the desired flavor profiles in wines, as discussed in previous research by Ma et al [25]. The study also corroborates the intricate interplay between genetics, metabolism, and environmental conditions in shaping amino acid profiles in grapes.…”

Comprehensive Analysis of the Pectate Lyase Gene Family and the Role of FaPL1 in Strawberry Softening

“…Developing methods without influencing the edible and appealing aspects of fruit, including color, aroma, or nutritional value, has currently become the major goal for controlling softening [4]. It has been suggested that the antisense expression of the FaPLc gene in strawberry did not affect the fruit color [22]; while overexpression of VvPL15 in tomato accelerated the fruit ripening and coloring [14]. In the present study, we found that overexpression of FaPL1 significantly increased anthocyanin content (Figure 7A).…”

“…Due to their important roles in a broad range of physiological processes associated with pectin degradation, such as plant growth, development, fruit softening and ripening, PL genes have been identified in various plant species. It has been reported that a total of 26, 20, 12, 46, 22, and 16 PL family members were identified in Arabidopsis [24], peach [13], rice [25], Brassica rapa [26], tomato [19], and grape [14], respectively. In strawberry, several FaPL genes were obtained from multiple varieties, including FaPLa, FaPLb, and FaPLc, from 'Chandler', FaSCPL from 'Sweet Charlie', FaTPL from 'Toyonoka', and five subtype sequences from 'Elsanta' [20,21,27].…”

“…The predominant and high expression of FaPL1 in fruit during ripening was also confirmed by a qRT-PCR experiment (Figure 6A), revealing these genes are associated with strawberry ripening. Additionally, it has been well documented that PL genes play a central role in fruit softening [13,14,19]. FaPLa, FaPLb, and FaPLc have been suggested to participate in strawberry softening.…”

“…Pectate lyase (PL) belongs to polysaccharide lyase family 1 (PL1), can randomly breaks the β-1,4 glycosidic bond, producing unsaturated C4-C5 bond oligomeric galactose uronic acid, thereby degrading pectin. PL exists in many plant species and has been identified in tomato [11], Arabidopsis [12], peach [13], and grape [14]. Its important role in fruit softening has also been confirmed in several species, such as banana [15], tomato [16], mango [17], and grape [18].…”