Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Postharvest Hot Air Treatment on Gene Expression Associated with Ascorbic Acid Metabolism in Peach Fruit

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Molecular Biology Reporter Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of postharvest heat treatment (37 °C, 3 days) on ascorbic acid (AsA) metabolism related to chilling resistance in peach fruit stored at 5 °C has been studied. Chilling injury (CI) index and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels as well as gene expression levels of mitochondrial L-galactono-1, 4-lactone-dehydrogenase (GalLDH) related to AsA synthetic metabolism, cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX), chloroplastic APX, peroxisomal APX1-3, cytosolic monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR), chloroplastic MDAR, chloroplastic dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and chloroplastic glutathione reductase (GR) related to AsA regeneration cycle metabolism were measured. Treated fruit maintained its initial H2O2 levels after heat conditioning, showing significantly higher levels when compared with non-heated fruit. However, during cold storage, heat-treated fruit exhibited lower H2O2 levels than control fruit; heated fruit had the lowest CI index at the end of storage. The transcription levels of all of genes (GalLDH, APX, MDAR, and DHAR), except for GR, sharply increased, and were higher than those of control fruit, immediately after heat treatment. Then, transcription levels sharply declined to levels lower than control fruit at 7–14 days. Little difference of gene expression was observed in the end of storage. These results suggest that AsA metabolism gene expression was temporarily and sharply induced by higher H2O2 levels after heat treatment, which might inhibit the elevation of H2O2 level at the initial period of cold storage, and followed by lower genes expression of AsA metabolism accompanied by lower H2O2 levels following transfer to cold storage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alhagdow M, Mounet F, Gilbert L, Nunes-Nesi A, Garcia V, Just D, Petit J, Beauvoit B, Fernie AR, Rothan C (2007) Silencing of the mitochondrial ascorbate synthesizing enzyme L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase affects plant and fruit development in tomato. Plant Physiol 145:1408–1422

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ambuko J, Zanol GC, Sekozawa Y, Sugaya S, Gemma H (2012) Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in hot air preconditioning mediated alleviation of chilling injury in banana fruits. J Agric Sci 5:319

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartoli CG, Guiamet JJ, Kiddle G, Pastori GM, Di Cagno R, Theodoulou FL, Foyer CH (2005) Ascorbate content of wheat leaves is not determined by maximal L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH) activity under drought stress. Plant Cell Environ 28:1073–1081

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao SF, Hu ZC, Zheng YH, Lu BH (2010) Synergistic effect of heat treatment and salicylic acid on alleviating internal browning in cold-stored peach fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol 58:93–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao SF, Zheng YH, Wang KT, Jin P, Rui HJ (2009) Methyl jasmonate reduces chilling injury and enhances antioxidant enzyme activity in postharvest loquat fruit. Food Chem 115:1458–1463

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen JY, He LH, Jiang YH, Wang Y, Joyce DC, Ji ZL, Lu WJ (2008) Role of phenylalanine ammonialyase in heat pretreatment-induced chilling tolerance in banana fruit. Physiol Plant 132:318–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen M, Jiang Q, Yin XR, Lin Q, Chen JY, Allan AC, Xu CJ, Chen KS (2012) Effect of hot air treatment on organic acid- and sugar-metabolism in Ponkan (Citrus reticulata) fruit. Sci Hortic 147:118–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Childs KL, Hamilton JP, Zhu W, Ly E, Cheung F, Wu H, Rabinowicz PD, Town CD, Buell CR, Chan AP (2007) The TIGR plant transcript assemblies database. Nucleic Acids Res 35:D846–851

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chou TS, Chao YY, Kao CH (2012) Involvement of hydrogen peroxide in heat shock-and cadmium-induced expression of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase in leaves of rice seedlings. J Plant Physiol 169:478–486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunajska-Ordak K, Skorupa-Kłaput M, Kurnik K, Tretyn A, Tyburski J (2013) Cloning and expression analysis of a gene encoding for ascorbate peroxidase and responsive to salt stress in beet (Beta vulgaris). Plant Mol Biol Rep. doi:10.1007/s11105-11013-10636-11106

    PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez F, Fernández L, Gergoff G, Guiamet JJ, Chaves A, Bartoli CG (2008) Heat shock increases mitochondrial H2O2 production and extends postharvest life of spinach leaves. Postharvest Biol Technol 49:229–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin P, Zheng Y, Tang S, Rui H, Wang CY (2009) A combination of hot air and methyl jasmonate vapor treatment alleviates chilling injury of peach fruit. Postharvest Biol Technol 52:24–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kato N, Esaka M (1999) Changes in ascorbate oxidase gene expression and ascorbate levels in cell division and cell elongation in tobacco cells. Physiol Plant 105:321–329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knight H, Knight MR (2001) Abiotic stress signalling pathways: specificity and cross-talk. Trends Plant Sci 6:262–267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lara MV, Borsani J, Budde CO, Lauxmann MA, Lombardo VA, Murray R, Andreo CS, Drincovich MF (2009) Biochemical and proteomic analysis of ‘Dixiland’peach fruit (Prunus persica) upon heat treatment. J Exp Bot 60:4315

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lauxmann MA, Borsani J, Osorio S, Lombardo VA, Budde CO, Bustamante CA, Monti LL, Andreo CS, Fernie AR, Drincovich MF (2013) Deciphering the metabolic pathways influencing heat and cold responses during postharvest physiology of peach fruit. Plant Cell Environ. doi:10.1111/pce.12181

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lurie S (1998) Postharvest heat treatments. Postharvest Biol Technol 14:257–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meisel L, Fonseca B, González S, Baeza-Yates R, Cambiazo V, Campos R, González M, Orellana A, Retamales J, Silva H (2005) A rapid and efficient method for purifying high quality total RNA from peaches (Prunus persica) for functional genomics analyses. Biol Res 38:83–88

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Millar AH, Mittova V, Kiddle G, Heazlewood JL, Bartoli CG, Theodoulou FL, Foyer CH (2003) Control of ascorbate synthesis by respiration and its implications for stress responses. Plant Physiol 133:443–447

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mirdehghan S, Rahemi M, Martínez-Romero D, Guillén F, Valverde J, Zapata P, Serrano M, Valero D (2007) Reduction of pomegranate chilling injury during storage after heat treatment: role of polyamines. Postharvest Biol Technol 44:19–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mittler R, Vanderauwera S, Gollery M, Van Breusegem F (2004) Reactive oxygen gene network of plants. Trends Plant Sci 9:490–498

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morita S, Kaminaka H, Masumura T, Tanaka K (1999) Induction of rice cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase mRNA by oxidative stress; the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in oxidative stress signalling. Plant Cell Physiol 40:417–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray R, Lucangeli C, Polenta G, Budde C (2007) Combined pre-storage heat treatment and controlled atmosphere storage reduced internal breakdown of ‘Flavorcrest’peach. Postharvest Biol Technol 44:116–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porat R, Pavoncello D, Ben-Hayyim G, Lurie S (2002) A heat treatment induced the expression of a Na+ / H+ antiport gene (cNHX1) in citrus fruit. Plant Sci 162:957–963

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quan LJ, Zhang B, Shi WW, Li HY (2008) Hydrogen peroxide in plants: a versatile molecule of the reactive oxygen species network. J of Integr Plant Biol 50:2–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rui H, Cao S, Shang H, Jin P, Wang K, Zheng Y (2010) Effects of heat treatment on internal browning and membrane fatty acid in loquat fruit in response to chilling stress. J Sci Food Agric 90:1557–1561

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sapitnitskaya M, Maul P, McCollum GT, Guy CL, Weiss B, Samach A, Porat R (2006) Postharvest heat and conditioning treatments activate different molecular responses and reduce chilling injuries in grapefruit. J Exp Bot 57:2943–2953

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sato Y, Murakami T, Funatsuki H, Matsuba S, Saruyama H, Tanida M (2001) Heat shock‐mediated APX gene expression and protection against chilling injury in rice seedlings. J Exp Bot 52:145–151

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shao X, Tu K (2012) Hot air treatment improved the chilling resistance of loquat fruit under cold storage. J Food Process Preserv. doi:10.1111/jfpp.12019

    Google Scholar 

  • Shigenaga T, Yamauchi N, Funamoto Y, Shigyo M (2005) Effects of heat treatment on an ascorbate–glutathione cycle in stored broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) florets. Postharvest Biol Technol 38:152–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabata K, Ôba K, Suzuki K, Esaka M (2001) Generation and properties of ascorbic acid‐deficient transgenic tobacco cells expressing antisense RNA for L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase. Plant J27:139–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomsen R, Sølvsten CAE, Linnet TE, Blechingberg J, Nielsen AL (2010) Analysis of qPCR data by converting exponentially related Ct values into linearly related X0 values. J Bioinf Comput Biol 8:885–900

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tong Z, Gao Z, Wang F, Zhou J, Zhang Z (2009) Selection of reliable reference genes for gene expression studies in peach using real-time PCR. BMC Mol Biol 10:71

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vicente AR, Martínez GA, Chaves AR, Civello PM (2006) Effect of heat treatment on strawberry fruit damage and oxidative metabolism during storage. Postharvest Biol Technol 40:116–122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Zhang Z, Xu L, Huang X, Pang X (2012) The effect of delay between heat treatment and cold storage on alleviation of chilling injury in banana fruit. J Sci Food Agric 92:2624–2629

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang K, Shao XF, Gong YF, Zhu Y, Wang HF, Zhang XL, Yu DD, Yu F, Qiu ZY, Lu H (2013) The metabolism of soluble carbohydrates related to chilling injury in peach fruit exposed to cold stress. Postharvest Biol Technol 86:53–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Yu Z, Jiang L, Jiang J, Luo H, Fu L (2011) Effect of post-harvest heat treatment on proteome change of peach fruit during ripening. J Proteomics 74:1135–1149

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YY, Han L, Ye ZB, Li HX (2013) Ascorbic acid accumulation is transcriptionally modulated in high-pigment-1 tomato fruit. Plant Mol Biol Rep. doi:10.1007/s11105-11013-10602-11103

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 31000825), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (No. Y3090537), and the K. C. Wong Magna Fund at Ningbo University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Ke Wang, Xingfeng Shao, Feng Xu & Hongfei Wang

  2. Department of Biotechnology and Marine Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Yifu Gong

Authors
  1. Ke Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xingfeng Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yifu Gong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Feng Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hongfei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xingfeng Shao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, K., Shao, X., Gong, Y. et al. Effects of Postharvest Hot Air Treatment on Gene Expression Associated with Ascorbic Acid Metabolism in Peach Fruit. Plant Mol Biol Rep 32, 881–887 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-014-0699-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-014-0699-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation