Based on metabolome and transcriptome analysis, differences in organic acids of 'Korla Xiangli' fruit from different male parent.
Ma X, Xue Y, Ye W, Zhao Y, Maimaiti T, Shikui Z, Wang S, Niu Y.
Crop Improvement
If you grow pears or any fruit tree, the choice of which variety you plant nearby as a pollinator isn't just about fruit set — it quietly reshapes the flavor chemistry inside every fruit you harvest.
Scientists discovered that the pollen a pear tree receives from a nearby male tree changes the chemistry of the fruit that develops — specifically which acidic compounds build up as the pear ripens. When a tree was pollinated by its own pollen, certain acids (including one called taurine, more often associated with animals) accumulated at much higher levels. By studying both the chemical makeup and the genes active in the fruit at different growth stages, researchers traced this effect to specific genes involved in sulfur processing and molecular transport inside the fruit cells.
Key Findings
41 distinct organic acids were detected in 'Korla Xiangli' pear fruit, grouping into three patterns based on how they changed across development.
Self-pollination significantly promoted accumulation of taurine, gallic acid, and adipic acid compared to cross-pollination combinations.
343 genes were differentially expressed across both cross-pollination treatments, with 14 enriched in ABC transporter and sulfur metabolism pathways — and a taurine regulatory network was linked to MYB and EIL transcription factors.
chevron_right Technical Summary
The pollen donor (male parent) used to pollinate 'Korla Xiangli' pears significantly changes which organic acids accumulate in the fruit as it ripens. Self-pollination boosted levels of taurine, gallic acid, and adipic acid, while cross-pollination altered gene activity in sulfur metabolism and transport pathways.
Abstract Preview
The fruit quality of 'Korla Xiangli' is influenced by the types and levels of organic acids, but the molecular mechanisms by which different paternal parents regulate fruit organic acid metabolism ...
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