Verde Antía, Míguez Jesús M, Gallardo Mercedes
Departamento de Biología Vegetal, C.C. del Suelo, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
Departamento de Biología Funcional, C.C. de la Salud, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
Plants (Basel). 2022 Mar 2;11(5):688. doi: 10.3390/plants11050688.
The role of melatonin during the growth and ripening of apple fruit was studied using local varieties. The evolution of the growth and ripening parameters, including fruit size and weight, firmness, color change, sugar content, and ethylene production, was different in the five varieties studied, with yellow apples (Reineta and Golden) initiating the ripening process earlier than reddish ones (Teórica, Sanroqueña, and Caguleira). Changes in the melatonin and melatonin isomer 2 contents during growth and ripening were studied in Golden apples, as was the effect of the melatonin treatment (500 µM, day 124 post-anthesis) on the apple tree. Melatonin content varied greatly, with higher value in the skin than in the flesh. In the skin, melatonin increased at day 132 post-anthesis, when ethylene synthesis started. In the flesh, melatonin levels were high at the beginning of the growth phase and at the end of ripening. Melatonin isomer 2 was also higher once the ripening started and when ethylene began to increase. The melatonin treatment significantly advanced the ethylene production and increased the fruit size, weight, sugar content, and firmness. The data suggest that melatonin stimulates fruit ripening through the induction of ethylene synthesis, while melatonin treatments before ripening improve the final fruit quality.
利用当地品种研究了褪黑素在苹果果实生长和成熟过程中的作用。在所研究的五个品种中，包括果实大小和重量、硬度、颜色变化、糖分含量和乙烯产量在内的生长和成熟参数的演变有所不同，黄色苹果（雷内塔和金冠）比红色苹果（特奥里卡、桑罗克尼亚和卡古莱拉）更早开始成熟过程。研究了金冠苹果生长和成熟过程中褪黑素和褪黑素异构体2含量的变化，以及褪黑素处理（花后124天，500µM）对苹果树的影响。褪黑素含量变化很大，果皮中的含量高于果肉。在果皮中，花后132天乙烯合成开始时，褪黑素含量增加。在果肉中，生长阶段开始时和成熟结束时褪黑素水平较高。一旦开始成熟且乙烯开始增加，褪黑素异构体2的含量也会升高。褪黑素处理显著提前了乙烯的产生，并增加了果实大小、重量、糖分含量和硬度。数据表明，褪黑素通过诱导乙烯合成来刺激果实成熟，而在成熟前进行褪黑素处理可提高最终果实品质。
