Comparative transcriptome analyses shed light on the regulation of harvest duration and shelf life in sweet corn

Ruiqiu Fang; Xiaolong Chen; Xianwen Zhang; Bin Wang

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112188

Comparative transcriptome analyses shed light on the regulation of harvest duration and shelf life in sweet corn

Food Res Int. 2023 Jan:163:112188. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112188. Epub 2022 Nov 20.

Authors

Ruiqiu Fang¹, Xiaolong Chen², Xianwen Zhang³, Bin Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Maize and Featured Upland Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dongyang, Zhejiang 322100, China. Electronic address: fangruiqiu2013@163.com.
² Institute of Maize and Featured Upland Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dongyang, Zhejiang 322100, China.
³ Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310021, China.
⁴ Institute of Vegetables, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310021, China. Electronic address: wb5682561@163.com.

PMID: 36596131
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112188

Abstract

Harvest duration and postharvest shelf life are two of the most important characters for sweet corn. However, the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. We performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of long harvest-duration and shelf-life sweet corn (LHS) and short harvest-duration and shelf-life field corn (SHS) at three stages, i.e. 10 days after pollination (10DAP), 22 days after pollination (22DAP), and 7 days after harvest (7DAH). We have observed the major transcriptome changes accompanying the harvest process in LHS corn. Gene expression pattern analysis and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) functional enrichments suggested an association between ROS metabolism in kernels with harvest duration and postharvest shelf life. The genes encoding cytochrome P450, peroxidase, peroxiredoxin, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase were upregulated specifically in LHS kernels during and after harvest compared to SHS kernels. These novel findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of corn post-harvest shelf life and should be useful for extending harvest duration and shelf life for sweet corn.

Keywords: Harvest duration; ROS; Shelf life; Sweet corn; Transcriptome analysis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Profiling*
Transcriptome
Zea mays* / genetics
Zea mays* / metabolism