Malate accumulation and transcriptome patterns during fruit development in sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Fruit Biology
• Molecular Genetics

Background:

• Fruit acidity is crucial for organoleptic quality in fleshy fruits.
• Malate is a key organic acid influencing sweet cherry flavor and palatability.
• Molecular mechanisms of malate accumulation in sweet cherries are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a phenotyping framework for sweet cherry acidity classification.
• To identify genes and regulatory networks controlling malate accumulation in sweet cherries.
• To provide a foundation for precision breeding of sweet cherry fruit quality.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative profiling of titratable acidity (TA) in 97 sweet cherry cultivars.
• Temporal metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of high-acid and low-acid fruits.
• Identification of differentially expressed genes and candidate transcription factors.

Main Results:

• A phenotyping framework for acidity classification was established.
• Malate was identified as the dominant organic acid with a biphasic accumulation pattern.
• Six structural genes (PavPEPC3, PavMDH1, PavME1, PavPHA5, PavALMT1, PavALMT6) and two transcription factors (PavWRKY33, PavbHLH149) correlated with malate content and TA variation.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive framework for sweet cherry acidity classification was developed.
• The core genetic regulatory network for malate accumulation was elucidated.
• Mechanistic insights support precision breeding for optimized fruit acidity and quality.