Transcriptional Analysis of C-Repeat Binding Factors in Fruit of Citrus Species with Differential Sensitivity to Chilling Injury during Postharvest Storage

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 2; p. 804
• Main Authors: Salvo, Matías, Rey, Florencia, Arruabarrena, Ana, Gambetta, Giuliana, Rodrigo, María J, Zacarías, Lorenzo, Lado, Joanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15-01-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acclimation; Acclimatization; Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Binding; CBF; Chilling; chilling injury; citrus; Citrus - classification; Citrus - genetics; Citrus fruits; Citrus limon; Citrus paradisi; Citrus paradisi - genetics; Citrus sinensis; Citrus sinensis - genetics; Cold acclimation; Cold storage; Cold Temperature; Cold tolerance; Cooling; Cultivars; DREB; Economic impact; Food Storage - methods; Fruit - genetics; Fruits; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genomes; Grapefruit; Kinases; Light; Mandarins; Plant Proteins - genetics; Protein Isoforms - genetics; Proteins; Species Specificity; Transcription; Transcription factors; chilling injury; DREB; CBF; gene expression; citrus
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020804

Citrus fruit are sensitive to chilling injury (CI) during cold storage, a peel disorder that causes economic losses. C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are related to cold acclimation and tolerance in different plants. To explore the role of
CBFs in fruit response to cold, an in silico study was performed, revealing three genes (
,
, and
) whose expression in CI sensitive and tolerant cultivars was followed. Major changes occurred at the early stages of cold exposure (1-5 d). Interestingly,
was the most stimulated gene in the peel of CI-tolerant cultivars (Lisbon lemon, Star Ruby grapefruit, and Navelina orange), remaining unaltered in sensitive cultivars (Meyer lemon, Marsh grapefruit, and Salustiana orange). Results suggest a positive association of
expression with cold tolerance in
cultivars (except for mandarins), whereas the expression of
or
genes did not reveal a clear relationship with the susceptibility to CI. Light avoidance during fruit growth reduced postharvest CI in most sensitive cultivars, associated with a rapid and transient enhance in the expression of the three CBFs. Results suggest that CBFs-dependent pathways mediate at least part of the cold tolerance responses in sensitive
, indicating that
participates in the natural tolerance to CI.