Towards deciphering fruit responses during postharvest: an “omics” approach

Fruit quality attributes, physiology and metabolic activity can be influenced by various postharvest handling and storage technologies.
Various postharvest tools such as pre-treatments, cold storage, and biological control have been implemented to extend the shelf life of fruit.
However, these technologies potentially induce stress and influence the fruit physiology and metabolism, which directly link to disorders and reduced shelf life.
The stress response of the fruit mainly depends on activation of various molecular networks involved in stress perception, signal transduction and expression of specific stress related genes and their respective proteins.
Changes in fruit quality have been shown to occur earlier at transcriptomic and proteomic level prior to changes in physical and chemical attributes.
For this reason, detailed integrated omics analyses are required to better understand cellular activities of fruit during postharvest induced stress conditions.
This report highlights the need for a paradigm shift in traditional analytical approach to the use of emerging RNA-sequencing and mass spectrometry analyses to understand the molecular mechanisms behind fruit quality changes.
An “omic” analysis of genes and their respective proteins helps reveal the underlying mechanisms of fruit quality changes such as colour, appearance, flavour and texture.
The information provided here should contribute to understand the fruit response to postharvest stress and to develop improved postharvest technologies.

IV All Africa Horticultural Congress – AAHC2021: Transformative Innovations in Horticulture

Z.A. Belay, O.J. Caleb

gene expression, proteins, metabolites, fruit quality

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1348.37