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Updated: Sep 14, 2025
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Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
Published on: June 17, 2012
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Multidimensional Transcriptomics Reveals the Key Genes and Pathways Regulating the Acidity of Apples
Wenyuan Yang1,2, Hang Yu1,2, Lian Tao1,2
1Horticulture Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610066, China.
Current Issues in Molecular Biology
|July 23, 2025
Summary
High-altitude apples show lower acidity due to genetic variations. Key genes like malate dehydrogenase and H+-ATPase regulate organic acid content, influencing fruit flavor.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Consumer preference for low-acid apples is high.
- Mechanisms of acidity variation in apples, especially at high altitudes, are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying low-acidity traits in apples grown at high altitudes.
- To analyze organic acid composition and gene expression in 'Golden Delicious' apples and a low-acid variant.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptome sequencing
- Cluster analysis
- Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA)
- Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR)
Main Results:
- The low-acid variant exhibited significantly lower organic acid content than 'Golden Delicious'.
- Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) was identified as a key regulator of malic acid content.
- H+-ATPase (VHA) was found to primarily control vacuolar organic acid levels, impacting overall fruit acidity.
Conclusions:
- Differential gene expression in specific metabolic pathways influences apple fruit acidity.
- MDH and VHA play crucial roles in determining apple acidity.
- This research provides molecular insights into low-acidity trait development and offers a basis for fruit flavor regulation.
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