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Dynamic characteristics of sugar accumulation and related enzyme activities in sweet and non-sweet watermelon fruits

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Abstract

Sugar content largely determines watermelon fruit quality. We compared changes in sugar accumulation and activities of carbohydrate enzymes in the flesh (central portion) and mesocarp of elite sweet watermelon line 97103 (Citrullus lanatus subsp. vulgaris) and exotic non-sweet line PI296341-FR (C. lanatus subsp. lanatus) to elucidate the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of sugar accumulation in watermelon fruit. The major translocated sugars, raffinose and stachyose, were more unloaded into sweet watermelon fruit than non-sweet fruit. During the fruit development, acid α-galactosidase activity was much higher in flesh of 97103 than in mesocarp of 97103, in flesh and mesocarp of PI296341-FR fruit. Insoluble acid invertase activity was higher in 97103 flesh than in 97103 mesocarp, PI296341-FR flesh or mesocarp from 18 days after pollination (DAP) to 34 DAP. Changes in soluble acid invertase activity in 97103 flesh were similar to those in PI296341-FR flesh and mesocarp from 18 DAP to full ripening. Sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase activities in 97103 flesh were significantly higher than those in 97103 mesocarp and PI296341-FR fruits from 18 to 34 DAP. Only insoluble acid invertase and sucrose phosphate synthase activities were significantly positively correlated with sucrose content in 97103 flesh. Therefore, phloem loading, distribution and metabolism of major translocated sugars, which are controlled by key sugar metabolism enzymes, determine fruit sugar accumulation in sweet and non-sweet watermelon and reflect the distribution diversity of translocated sugars between subspecies.

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Abbreviations

NI:

Neutral invertase

RFOs:

Raffinose family oligosaccharides

SAI:

Soluble acid invertase

SPS:

Sucrose phosphate synthase

SuSy:

Sucrose synthase

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2012AA100105, 2012AA100101, 2012AA100103, 2012BAD02B03, 2013BAD01B04-13, and 2012BAD50G01), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31272184, 31171980), China-Israel National Natural Science Foundation, the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China (CARS-26), the Beijing Nova program of China (Z121105002512037, Z121105002612013), the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission of China (D111100001311002, D121100003412001) and the BAAFS International Cooperation Foundation of China (GJHZ2013-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China

    Jingan Liu, Shaogui Guo, Hongju He, Haiying Zhang, Guoyi Gong, Yi Ren & Yong Xu

  2. Beijing Vegetable Research Center (BVRC), Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China

    Jingan Liu, Shaogui Guo, Hongju He, Haiying Zhang, Guoyi Gong, Yi Ren & Yong Xu

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  1. Jingan Liu
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  2. Shaogui Guo
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  3. Hongju He
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Correspondence to Yong Xu.

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Communicated by L. A. Kleczkowski.

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Liu, J., Guo, S., He, H. et al. Dynamic characteristics of sugar accumulation and related enzyme activities in sweet and non-sweet watermelon fruits. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 3213–3222 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1356-0

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