Xie Yiqi, Zhang Haizhou, Li Chengshuang, Cheng Qing, Sun Liang, Shen Huolin
Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya 572025, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Aug 7;14(15):2451. doi: 10.3390/plants14152451.
The rugose surface trait in pepper ( L.), marked by ridges and depressions on the fruit epidermis, is linked to improved fruit texture. To investigate its regulatory basis, histological, textural, and transcriptomic differences, contrasting genotypes were analyzed. Histological analysis revealed that disorganized epidermal cell layers contribute to rugosity, with morphological differences emerging around 10 days post-anthesis (DPA). A computer-aided design (CAD)-based rugosity index (RI) was developed and showed strong correlation with sensory rugosity scores (R = 0.659, < 0.001). Texture analysis demonstrated that increasing surface rugosity was associated with reduced rupture force and hardness, as well as elevated pectinase activity. Comparative transcriptome profiling identified 10 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to microtubule dynamics (e.g., and ) and phytohormone signaling (e.g., and ), which exhibited distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns. These findings suggest that coordinated cytoskeletal remodeling and hormonal regulation drive epidermal disorganization, leading to surface rugosity and altered fruit texture. The study provides novel insights into the molecular basis of fruit surface morphology and identifies promising targets for breeding high-quality pepper cultivars.
辣椒（L.）果实表皮上有皱纹的表面特征，以果实表皮上的凸起和凹陷为标志，与果实质地的改善有关。为了研究其调控基础，对具有对比性的基因型进行了组织学、质地和转录组差异分析。组织学分析表明，无序的表皮细胞层导致了皱纹的产生，在花后10天左右出现形态差异。开发了一种基于计算机辅助设计（CAD）的皱纹指数（RI），并显示其与感官皱纹评分有很强的相关性（R = 0.659，< 0.001）。质地分析表明，表面皱纹增加与破裂力和硬度降低以及果胶酶活性升高有关。比较转录组分析确定了10个与微管动力学（如和）和植物激素信号传导（如和）相关的差异表达基因（DEGs），它们表现出不同的时空表达模式。这些发现表明，细胞骨架的协同重塑和激素调节驱动表皮无序化，导致表面皱纹和果实质地改变。该研究为果实表面形态的分子基础提供了新的见解，并确定了培育高品质辣椒品种的有前景的靶点。
