Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is a climacteric fruit sensitive to low concentrations of ethylene. To investigate the transcriptional mechanisms underlying kiwifruit ethylene response, transcription factors encoding four EIN3-Like (EILs) and 14 Ethylene Response Factors (ERFs) were cloned from kiwifruit. Expression of these transcription factors was examined during fruit development. The expression of transcripts of most AdERFs was higher during early fruit development, with the exception of AdERF3, which increased with maturity. Several AdERFs were apparently down-regulated by ethylene, as they were affected by the ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene and by antisense suppression of ACO (for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase) in the fruit. In contrast, AdEILs were constitutively expressed during fruit development and ripening. The transcription factors AdEIL2 and AdEIL3 activated transcription of the ripening-related genes AdACO1 and AdXET5 (xyloglucan endotransglycosylase gene) and, when overexpressed in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), stimulated ethylene production. The potential repressor AdERF9 suppressed this promoter activity. These results support a role for kiwifruit EILs and ERFs in transcriptional regulation of ripening-related genes and in the regulation of kiwifruit fruit-ripening processes.

Background: Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. and Zucc.) is an important subtropical fruit crop and an ideal species for fruit quality research due to the rapid and substantial changes that occur during development and ripening, including changes in fruit color and taste. However, research at the molecular level is limited by a lack of sequence data. The present study was designed to obtain transcript sequence data and examine gene expression in bayberry developing fruit based on RNA-Seq and bioinformatic analysis, to provide a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling fruit quality changes during ripening. Results: RNA-Seq generated 1.92 G raw data, which was then de novo assembled into 41,239 UniGenes with a mean length of 531 bp. Approximately 80% of the UniGenes (32,805) were annotated against public protein databases, and coding sequences (CDS) of 31,665 UniGenes were determined. Over 3,600 UniGenes were differentially expressed during fruit ripening, with 826 up-regulated and 1,407 down-regulated. GO comparisons between the UniGenes of these two types and interactive pathways (Ipath) analysis found that energy-related metabolism was enhanced, and catalytic activity was increased. All genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis were up-regulated during the fruit ripening processes, concurrent with color change. Important changes in carbohydrate and acid metabolism in the ripening fruit are likely associated with expression of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). Conclusions: Mass sequence data of Chinese bayberry was obtained and the expression profiles were examined during fruit ripening. The UniGenes were annotated, providing a platform for functional genomic research with this species. Using pathway mapping and expression profiles, the molecular mechanisms for changes in fruit color and taste during ripening were examined. This provides a reference for the study of complicated metabolism in non-model perennial species.

Summary: Flavanones and flavones are excellent source of bioactive compounds but the molecular basis of their highly efficient production remains elusive. Chalcone isomerase (CHI) family proteins play essential roles in flavonoid biosynthesis but little are known about the transcription factors controlling their gene expression. Here, we identified a type IV CHI (designated as CitCHIL1) from citrus which enhances the accumulation of citrus flavanones and flavones (CFLs). CitCHIL1 participates in a CFL biosynthetic metabolon and assists the cyclization of naringenin chalcone to (2S)‐naringenin, which leads to the efficient influx of substrates to chalcone synthase (CHS) and improves the catalytic efficiency of CHS. Overexpressing CitCHIL1 in Citrus and Arabidopsis significantly increased flavonoid content and RNA interference‐induced silencing of CitCHIL1 in citrus led to a 43% reduction in CFL content. Three AP2/ERF transcription factors were identified as positive regulators of the CitCHIL1 expression. Of these, two dehydration‐responsive element binding (DREB) proteins, CitERF32 and CitERF33, activated the transcription by directly binding to the CGCCGC motif in the promoter, while CitRAV1 (RAV: related to ABI3/VP1) formed a transcription complex with CitERF33 that strongly enhanced the activation efficiency and flavonoid accumulation. These results not only illustrate the specific function that CitCHIL1 executes in CFL biosynthesis but also reveal a new DREB‐RAV transcriptional complex regulating flavonoid production.

Lignin biosynthesis and its transcriptional regulatory networks have been studied in model plants and woody trees. However, lignification also occurs in some fleshy fruit and has rarely been considered in this way. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is one such convenient tissue for exploring the transcription factors involved in regulating fruit flesh lignification. Firmness and lignin content of ‘Luoyangqing’ loquat were fund to increase during low-temperature storage as a typical symptom of chilling injury, while heat treatment (HT) and low-temperature conditioning (LTC) effectively alleviated them. Two novel EjMYB genes, EjMYB1 and EjMYB2, were isolated and were found to be localized in the nucleus. These genes responded differently to low temperature, with EjMYB1 induced and EjMYB2 inhibited at 0 °C. They also showed different temperature responses under HT and LTC conditions, and may be responsible for different regulation of flesh lignification at the transcriptional level. Transactivation assays indicated that EjMYB1 and EjMYB2 are a transcriptional activator and repressor, respectively. EjMYB1 activated promoters of both Arabidopsis and loquat lignin biosynthesis genes, while EjMYB2 countered the inductive effects of EjMYB1. This finding was also supported by transient overexpression in tobacco. Regulation of lignification by EjMYB1 and EjMYB2 is likely to be achieved via their competitive interaction with AC elements in the promoter region of lignin biosynthesis genes such as Ej4CL1.

Summary: Chlorophyll degradation naturally occurs during plant senescence. However, in fruit such as citrus, it is a positive characteristic, as degreening is an important colour development contributing to fruit quality. In the present work, Citrus sinensis Osbeck, cv. Newhall fruit was used as a model for chlorophyll degradation. An ethylene response factor, CitERF13, was isolated and its transcriptional changes were closely correlated with fruit peel degreening during development or in response to ethylene. Dual‐luciferase and yeast one‐hybrid assays, as well as motif mutation, indicated that CitERF13 directly binds to the CitPPH promoter and enhances its activity. Transient and stable over‐expression of CitERF13 resulted in rapid chlorophyll degradation in Nicotiana tabacum leaves and led to accumulation of pheophorbide (Pheide) a, a metabolite of pheophorbide hydrolase (PPH). Similar results were observed from transient transformation of CitERF13 in citrus fruit peel. Moreover, this function of CitERF13 was conserved within Arabidopsis and tomato, as the homologs AtERF17 and SlERF16 similarly acted as activators of PPH genes and accelerators of chlorophyll degradation.

Summary: Lignin biosynthesis is regulated by many transcription factors, such as those of the MYB and NAC families. However, the roles of AP2/ERF transcription factors in lignin biosynthesis have been rarely investigated. Eighteen EjAP2/ERF genes were isolated from loquat fruit (Eriobotrya japonica), which undergoes postharvest lignification during low temperature storage. Among these, expression of EjAP2‐1, a transcriptional repressor, was negatively correlated with fruit lignification. The dual‐luciferase assay indicated that EjAP2‐1 could trans‐repress activities of promoters of lignin biosynthesis genes from both Arabidopsis and loquat. However, EjAP2‐1 did not interact with the target promoters (Ej4CL1). Yeast two‐hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays indicated protein–protein interactions between EjAP2‐1 and lignin biosynthesis‐related EjMYB1 and EjMYB2. Furthermore, repression effects on the Ej4CL1 promoter were observed with the combination of EjAP2‐1 and EjMYB1 or EjMYB2, while EjAP2‐1 with the EAR motif mutated (mEjAP2‐1) lost such repression, although mEjAP2‐1 still interacted with EjMYB protein. Based on these results, it is proposed that EjAP2‐1 is an indirect transcriptional repressor on lignin biosynthesis, and the repression effects were manifested by EAR motifs and were conducted via protein–protein interaction with EjMYBs.