Co-Treatment of EFF and 1-MCP for Enhancing the Shelf-Life and Aroma Volatile Compounds of Oriental Sweet Melons(Cucumis melo var.makuwa Makino)

Compared to other melon types, oriental sweet melon （Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino） is quite a different species with a shorter shelf-life due to its typical climacteric behavior and thin pericarp. The purpose of this experiment is to explore the effects of co- treatment of enhanced freshness formulation （EFF） and 1-methylcyclopropene （1-MCP） on physiological changes and the content of aroma volatile compounds introduced by them of two oriental sweet melon cultivars （Yumeiren and Tianbao） during storage. The melons were stored in incubators with temperature of 15~C and a relative humidity of 85% for 24 d during which fruit quality and related physiological index were measured. Compared to the control, both treatments delayed fruit weight loss rate and kept the fruit firmness, water content and soluble solids content. Ascorbate peroxidase （APX） and phenylalanine ammonia lyase （PAL） activities showed fluctuations in treated melons, while lipoxygenase （LOX） activity （P〈0.01） and malondialdehyde （MDA） content （P〈0.05） decreased compared to control. During the early stage of storage, alcohols and aldehydes were the main volatile compounds, and esters gradually increased during storage. Of all the esters, acetic esters were the main components, followed by oxalic acid esters and other esters. The total content of aroma volatile compounds, esters, alcohols and aldehydes of co-treated melons were all higher than those of 1-MCP treated and control melons. In addition, the aroma volatile peak of co-treated melons occurred later than that of 1-MCP treated and control melons. In summary, co-treatment of EFF and 1-MCP was more beneficial than 1-MCP treatment to delay ripening and senescence, maintain fruit quality, enhance shelf-life and improve levels of aroma volatile compounds.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of WRKY family genes during development and resistance to Colletotrichum fructicola in cultivated strawberry(Fragaria×ananassa Duch.)

Based on the recently published whole-genome sequence of cultivated strawberry ’Camarosa’, in this study, 222FaWRKY genes were identified in the ’Camarosa’ genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 222 FaWRKY candidate genes were classified into three groups, of which 41 were in group Ⅰ, 142 were in group Ⅱ, and 39 were in group Ⅲ. The 222 FaWRKY genes were evenly distributed among the seven chromosomes. The exon–intron structures and motifs of the WRKY genes had evolutionary diversity in different cultivated strawberry genomes. Regarding differential expression, the expression of FaWRKY133 was relatively high in leaves, while FaWRKY63 was specifically expressed in roots. FaWRKY207, 59, 46, 182, 156, 58, 39, 62 and 115 were up-regulated during achene development from the green to red fruit transition. FaWRK181, 166 and 211 were highly expressed in receptacles at the ripe fruit stage. One interesting finding was that Fa WRKY179 and 205 were significantly repressed after Colletotrichum fructicola inoculation in both ’Benihoppe’ and ’Sweet Charlie’ compared with Mock. The data reported here provide a foundation for further comparative genomics and analyses of the distinct expression patterns of FaWRKY genes in various tissues and in response to C. fructicola inoculation.

Accumulation of Carbohydrate and Regulation of 14-3-3 Protein on Sucrose Phosphate Synthase(SPS) Activity in Two Tomato Species

To explore the differences of carbohydrate metabolism in two tomato species and discuss the possible regulation of 14-3-3 proteins on the sucrose phosphate synthase （SPS） activity, we determined the contents of soluble sugar and starch through high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. The activities of sugar-metabolizing enzymes were assayed in desalted extract, and the relative expression levels of related genes in sugar metabolism were determined though real-time RT-PCR. The results indicated that glucose and fructose were mainly accumulated during the maturation of the fruit because of the high acid invertase （AI） and neutral invertase （NI） in Micro-Tom （Solanum lycopersicum） fruit, while in Solanum chmielewskii fruit, SPS which went along with the change of sucrose content led to the rapid sucrose increase during the fruit ripening. TFT1 and TFT10, belonging to 14-3-3 protein in tomato, were likely to down-regulated SPS activity during young and intumescence period.

Effects of different LED light wavelengths on the resistance of tomato against Botrytis cinerea and the corresponding physiological mechanisms

New types of light-emitting diode （LED） sources were applied to irradiate Botrytis cinerea mycelium and tomato leaves that were inoculated with B. cinerea to assess the effect of different LED light wavelengths on the infection of tomato with B. cinerea, to determine the optimum light wavelengths to control B. cinerea, and to explore the mechanism of LED influ- ence on the development of gray mold. The results showed that purple light and blue light irradiation significantly inhibited the growth of B. cinerea mycelium, and the inhibition rates were 22.3 and 15.16%, respectively, and purple light exhibited a better inhibitory effect than blue light. The lesion development of B. cinerea on tomato leaves was significantly inhibited upon irradiation with red and purple light with inhibition rates of 32.08 and 36.74%, respectively. Irradiation with red light inhibited the oxidative burst of superoxide anion （O2-） that was caused by infection with B. cinerea, and red light regulated the H2O2 content in the tomato leaf, which increased and rapidly returned to a lower level. In addition, red light irradiation improved the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT） and peroxidase （POD） in tomato leaves. However, purple light irradiation did not make tomato leaves exhibit this kind of physiological response. Therefore, red light and purple light can suppress gray mold in tomatoes, but the disease suppression mechanisms of these two types of LED light are different. In general, red light suppresses gray mold primarily by regulating the tomato defense mechanism for disease, whereas the suppression of tomato gray mold by purple light can be partially explained by the photo-inhibition of B. cinerea.

Meta-analysis of the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene(1-MCP)treatment on climacteric fruit ripening

1-Methylcyclopropene(1-MCP)is an inhibitor of ethylene perception that is widely used to maintain the quality of several climacteric fruits during storage.A large body of literature now exists on the effects of 1-MCP on climacteric fruit ripening for different species and environmental conditions,presenting an opportunity to use meta-analysis to systematically dissect these effects.We classified 44 ripening indicators of climacteric fruits into five categories:physiology and biochemistry,quality,enzyme activity,color,and volatiles.Meta-analysis showed that 1-MCP treatment reduced 20 of the 44 indicators by a minimum of 22%and increased 6 indicators by at least 20%.These effects were associated with positive effects on delaying ripening and maintaining quality.Of the seven moderating variables,species,1-MCP concentration,storage temperature and time had substantial impacts on the responses of fruit to 1-MCP treatment.Fruits from different species varied in their responses to 1-MCP,with the most pronounced responses observed in rosaceous fruits,especially apple,European pear fruits,and tropical fruits.The effect of gaseous 1-MCP was optimal at 1μl/l,with a treatment time of 12–24 h,when the storage temperature was 0℃for temperate fruits or 20℃for tropical fruits,and when the shelf temperature was 20℃,reflecting the majority of experimental approaches.These findings will help improve the efficacy of 1-MCP application during the storage of climacteric fruits,reduce fruit quality losses and increase commercial value.

Regulation of fruit ripening by the brassinosteroid biosynthetic gene SlCYP90B3 via an ethylenedependent pathway in tomato

The essential role of ethylene in fruit ripening has been thoroughly studied.However,the involvement of brassinosteroids(BRs)in the regulation of fruit ripening and their relationship with the ethylene pathway are poorly understood.In the current study,we found that BRs were actively synthesized during tomato fruit ripening.We then generated transgenic lines overexpressing or silencing SlCYP90B3,which encodes a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase that catalyzes the rate-limiting step of BR synthesis.The expression level of SlCYP90B3 was positively related to the contents of bioactive BRs as well as the ripening process in tomato fruit,including enhanced softening and increased soluble sugar and flavor volatile contents.Both carotenoid accumulation and ethylene production were strongly correlated with the expression level of SlCYP90B3,corroborated by the altered expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes as well as ethylene pathway genes in transgenic tomato fruits.However,the application of the ethylene perception inhibitor 1-methycyclopropene(1-MCP)abolished the promotion effect of SlCYP90B3 overexpression on carotenoid accumulation.Taken together,these results increase our understanding of the involvement of SlCYP90B3 in bioactive BR biosynthesis as well as fruit ripening in tomato,thus making SlCYP90B3 a target gene for improvement of visual,nutritional and flavor qualities of tomato fruits with no yield penalty.

Optimization of rhizosphere cooling airflow for microclimate regulation and its effects on lettuce growth in plant factory

In plant factories,the plant microclimate is affected by the control system,plant physiological activities and aerodynamic characteristics of leaves,which often leads to poor ventilation uniformity,suboptimal environmental conditions and inefficient air conditioning.In this study,interlayer cool airflow(ILCA)was used to introduce room air into plants’internal canopy through vent holes in cultivation boards and air layer between cultivation boards and nutrient solution surface(interlayer).By using optimal operating parameters at a room temperature of 28℃,the ILCA system achieved similar cooling effects in the absence of a conventional air conditioning system and achieved an energy saving of 50.8% while bringing about positive microclimate change in the interlayer and nutrient solution.This resulted in significantly reduced root growth by 41.7% without a negative influence on lettuce crop yield.Future development in this precise microclimate control method is predicted to replace the conventional cooling(air conditioning)systems for crop production in plant factories.

Tomato Key Sucrose Metabolizing Enzyme Activities and Gene Expression Under NaCl and PEG Iso-Osmotic Stresses

Changes in sucrose metabolism in response to salt （NaC1） and water （polyethylene glycol, PEG6000） iso-osmotic stresses were measured in tomato cultivar Liaoyuan Duoli （Solanum lycopersicum L.） and the objective was to provide a new evidence for the relationship between salt and osmotic stresses. The carbohydrate contents, as well as sucrose metabolizing enzymes activities and transcript levels were determined. The results indicated that soluble sugar and hexoses accumulated to higher levels and the contents of sucrose and starch were lower in mature fruit under the two stress treatments. Salt and water stresses can enhance the invertase and sucrose synthase activities of tomato fruit in a long period of time （45-60 days after anthesis）, and elevate the expression of soluble acid invertase mRNA. It showed that two different stresses could also regulate the soluble acid invertase activity by controlling its gene expression. The activity of sucrose synthase was linked to the changes in soluble sugar levels but not with transcript levels. The effects of salt and water stress treatments on sucrose phosphate synthase activities were weak.

The Role of Calcium in Mediating SlIAAs Expression in Tomato Pedicel Explants

In order to illuminate the effect of calcium on the IAA signal transduction,we studied the expression of eight SlIAA genes which were up-regulated by calcium during the abscission after short-term（1 h） and long-term（16 h） treatments with calcium,IAA and calcium inhibitors.The results indicated that calcium induced SlIAAs expression in 1 h at low concentration,EGTA affected little SlIAAs expression;it also increased IAA-induced transcript level of SlIAAs,TFP（named trifluoperazine） decreased most SlIAAs expression below the level of calcium combined with IAA-induced expression,except for SlIAA17.Long-term treatment of calcium or calcium inhibitors suppressed some SlIAAs expression,whereas TFP enhanced all SlIAAs expression.Interestingly,SlIAA29 was induced by most treatments excluding 16 h EGTA.

Effects of calcium application on apple fruit softening during storage revealed by proteomics and phosphoproteomics

Fruit ripening has been reported to be related to calcium(Ca),but the underlying mechanisms by which Ca regulates this process remain largely unknown.In order to study the changes of proteins and enriched phosphopeptides,we conducted TMT labeling,bio-material-based PTM enrichment based on mass spectrometry in Ca-treated‘Golden Delicious’(GD)apple fruit(Malus×domestica).This dataset presents a comprehensive overview of the critical pathways involved in fruit ripening.A total of 47 proteins and 124 phosphoproteins significantly changed in Ca-treated fruit,which are crucial for regulating the cell wall and cytoskeleton,Ca-mediated signaling and transport,ethylene production,protein fate,especially ubiquitination-based protein degradation,and primary and secondary metabolisms.Our results indicated that Ca inhibited the abundance of polygalacturonase(PG)activity and increased the phosphorylation level of CSLD3.PG and phosphorylation were involved in cell wall degradation,thereby delaying fruit softening.As a secondary messenger,Ca-mediated signaling subsequently triggered downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK)cascades and activated the membrane,transport,and ROS signaling.Moreover,MdEIN2,a key enzyme involved in the ubiquitin of protein modification,increased at Ser753 and Ser758 in Ca-treated fruit.Furthermore,diverse primary and secondary metabolisms including glycolysis,fatty acid metabolism,and oxidation respiratory chain were modulated to prevent fruit softening.These results provide basic information from protein and phosphorylation levels for apple fruit ripening during storage,which may be helpful for apple fruit storage control.

Correlation Between Endogenous Hormones of Stem Apices and Fruit Locule Numbers in Tomatoes During Floral Bud Differentiation Stages

The study was designed to elucidate the changes in the endogenous hormones of stem apices in tomatoes and the function of correlative endogenous hormones in tomatoes during floral bud differentiation stages. The tomato parents were crossed and reverse crossed by using two inbred lines of multi-locule （MLK1） and few-locule （FL1） with significant difference, and the relationship between endogenous hormones GA3, IAA, and ABA levels and ovary locule numbers of parents and progeny during floral bud differentiation initial stage, floral bud differentiation stage, sepal petal formation stage, carpel formation initial stage, and ovary locule complete formation stage was studied. GA3 levels in P1, P2, F1, and RF1 were consistent with locule numbers, and IAA and ABA levels were reverse to ovary locule numbers during the key stage. The correlation showed that, during sepal petal formation stage, the ovary locule numbers were positively correlated with GA3, GA3/IAA, and GA3/ABA, and were negatively correlated with IAA and ABA. It was speculated that increasing GA3 levels or decreasing IAA and ABA levels of stem apices in tomato might be able to enhance ovary locule numbers. The sepal petal formation stage was an important stage which regulated endogenous hormones in the ovary locule formation.

The sugar transporter system of strawberry:genome-wide identification and expression correlation with fruit soluble sugar-related traits in a Fragaria×ananassa germplasm collection

Sugar from plant photosynthesis is a basic requirement for life activities.Sugar transporters are the proteins that mediate sugar allocation among or within source/sink organs.The transporters of the major facilitator superfamily(MFS)targeting carbohydrates represent the largest family of sugar transporters in many plants.Strawberry(Fragaria×ananassa Duchesne)is an important crop appreciated worldwide for its unique fruit flavor.The involvement of MFS sugar transporters(STs)in cultivated strawberry fruit sugar accumulation is largely unknown.In this work,we characterized the genetic variation associated with fruit soluble sugars in a collection including 154 varieties.Then,a total of 67 ST genes were identified in the v4.0 genome integrated with the v4.0.a2 protein database of F.vesca,the dominant subgenome provider for modern cultivated strawberry.Phylogenetic analysis updated the nomenclature of strawberry ST homoeologs.Both the chromosomal distribution and structural characteristics of the ST family were improved.Semi-RT-PCR analysis in nine tissues from cv.Benihoppe screened 34 highly expressed ST genes in fruits.In three varieties with dramatically differing fruit sugar levels,qPCR integrated with correlation analysis between ST transcript abundance and sugar content identified 13 sugar-correlated genes.The correlations were re-evaluated across 19 varieties,including major commercial cultivars grown in China.Finally,a model of the contribution of the sugar transporter system to subcellular sugar allocation in strawberry fruits was proposed.Our work highlights the involvement of STs in controlling strawberry fruit soluble sugars and provides candidates for the future functional study of STs in strawberry development and responses and a new approach for strawberry genetic engineering and molecular breeding.

Effects of Different Combinations of Red and Blue Light on Morphology and Photosynthetic Characteristic of Tomato Seedlings

Blue and red light are spectral wavelengths more effective for plants. The effects of different ratios of red and blue light （R/B=2, R/B=4, R/B=8, R/B=12） provided by LEDs on morphology and photosynthetic characteristics of tomato seedlings were studied. The results showed that plant height, stem diameter, fresh weight, dry weight, seedling index and G value increased with the increase of R/B ratio until 8. On the contrary, SPDA value decreased with the increase of R/B ratio. Photosynthetic characteristics were measured by CO 2 assimilation （ Pn ）, stomatal conductance （ gs ） and intracellular CO 2 concentration （ Ci） . Pn and gs decreased with the increase of R/B ratio. Furthermore, similar trend was investigated in photochemical quenching （qP） and electron transport rate （ETR）. Results of this study suggest that compared with white LED, appropriate combination of red and blue light can enhance plant growth and photosynthetic characteristics, and the optimal blue/red ratio for tomato growth was R/B=8.

Effect of Exogenous Spermidine Concentration on Chilling Tolerance in Cucumber

Chilling stress was one of the most sever abiotic stress to restrict cucumber plant growth.The effects of different concentrations of spermidine( 0.1,0.5,1 and 5 mM) on photosynthetic characteristics,antioxidant( catalase,ascorbate peroxidase,superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) enzyme activities,malondialdehyde( MDA) content,electrolyte leakage and H_2 O_2 content of cucumber seedlings under chilling stress were studied.The results showed that chilling stress reduced photosynthetic capacity and the value of the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII( Fv/Fm),and increased electrolyte leakage and the content of MDA and H_2 O_2.Exogenous Spd application led to a tendency of photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidant enzyme activities to first increase and then decrease with the concentration of exogenous Spd increasing.Furthermore,electrolyte leakage and the contents of MDA and H_2 O_2 significantly decreased in plants treated with Spd.Results of this study suggest that exogenous Spd can improve cucumber tolerance to chilling stress,and the optimal concentration of Spd to alleviate chilling stress in cucumber was 0.5 mM in the present study.

The different interactions of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with two strawberry varieties and the involvement of salicylic acid

The disease symptoms recognized as‘Anthracnose’are caused by Colletotrichum spp.and lead to large-scale strawberry(Fragaria×ananassa Duchesne)losses worldwide in terms of both quality and production.Little is known regarding the mechanisms underlying the genetic variations in the strawberry–Colletotrichum spp.interaction.In this work,Colletotrichum gloeosporioides(C.gloeosporioides)infection was characterized in two varieties exhibiting different susceptibilities,and the involvement of salicylic acid(SA)was examined.Light microscopic observation showed that C.gloeosporioides conidia germinated earlier and faster on the leaf surface of the susceptible cultivar compared with the less-susceptible cultivar.Several PR genes were differentially expressed,with higher-amplitude changes observed in the less-susceptible cultivar.The less-susceptible cultivar contained a higher level of basal SA,and the SA levels increased rapidly upon infection,followed by a sharp decrease before the necrotrophic phase.External SA pretreatment reduced susceptibility and elevated the internal SA levels in both varieties,which were sharply reduced in the susceptible cultivar upon inoculation.The less-susceptible cultivar also displayed a more sensitive and marked increase in the transcripts of NB-LRR genes to C.gloeosporioides,and SA pretreatment differentially induced transcript accumulation in the two varieties during infection.Furthermore,SA directly inhibited the germination of C.gloeosporioides conidia;NB-LRR transcript accumulation in response to SA pretreatment was both dose-and cultivar-dependent.The results demonstrate that the less-susceptible cultivar showed reduced conidia germination.The contribution of SA might involve microbial isolate-specific sensitivity to SA,cultivar/tissue-specific SA homeostasis and signaling,and the sensitivity of R genes and the related defense network to SA and pathogens.

Effects of abiotic stress and hormones on the expressions of five13-CmLOXs and enzyme activity in oriental melon(Cucumis melo var.makuwa Makino)

Lipoxygenases（LOXs） are a group of non-heme,iron-containing enzymes and extensively involved in plant growth and development,ripening and senescence,stress responses,biosynthesis of regulatory molecules and defense reaction.In our previous study,18 LOXs in melon genome were screened and identified,and five 13-LOX genes（CmLOX08,CmLOX10,CmLOX12,CmLOX13 and CmLOX18） were predicted to locate in chloroplast.Phylogenetic analysis result showed that the five genes have high homology with jasmonic acid（JA） biosynthesis-related LOXs from other plants.In addition,promoter analysis revealed that motifs of the five genes participate in gene expression regulated by hormones and stresses.Therefore,we analyzed the expressions of the five genes and LOX activity in leaves of four-leaf stage seedlings of oriental melon cultivar Yumeiren under abiotic stress：wounding,cold,high temperature and hydrogen peroxide（H_2O_2）,and signal molecule treatments：methyl jasmonate（MeJA）,abscisic acid（ABA） and salicylic acid（SA）.Real time qPCR revealed that wounding and H_2O_2 induced the expressions of all the five genes.Only CmLOX08 was induced by cold while only CmLOX13 was suppressed by high temperature.ABA induced the expressions of CmLOXIO and CmLOX12 while inhibited CmLOX13 and CmLOX18.MeJA increased the 3 genes expressions except CmLOX08 and CmLOX13,whereas SA decreased the effect,apart from CmLOX12.All the abiotic stresses and signal molecules treatments increased the LOX activity in leaves of oriental melon.In summary,the results suggest that the five genes have diverse functions in abiotic stress and hormone responses,and might participate in defense response.The data generated in this study will be helpful in subcellular localization and transgenic experiment to understand their precise roles in plant defense response.

Change in ^(14)C-soluble Sugar Involved in the Photosynthate Translocation Pathway of Tomato

Liaoyuanduoli tomato was planted in pots in a solar greenhouse. The first leaf below the second cluster was labeled by ^14CO2 with a dose of 0.555 MBq 30 days after the second cluster anthesis. Mesophyll, midrib, petiole vascular of the fed leaf, internode vascular below the fed leaf （adjacent to the fed leaf）, peduncle vascular of the second cluster, sepal, fruit pedicle, pulp, pectinic, and dissepiment were taken 2, 4, 8, 12, 20, 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively, after ^14CO2 feed to determinate the composition and specific activity of carbohydrate at different sites and different time after the labeling. The results indicated that almost all of the photosynthates resulting from 1 h of photosynthesis could be transported out of the leaf within 72 h and more than 85% of them were exported within 24 h. The greatest amount of sucrose transport occurred in the internode pedicel vascular bundle 8 h after the start of photosynthesis. Assimilates entering the fruit through the internode and pedicel vascular bundles were detectable but in small quantities 2 h after photosynthesis. Only the radio activity of sucrose but not that of glucose and fructose was detected, suggesting that some of the sucrose in the fruit came directly through the phloem at an early stage of fruit development, not through the synthesis of glucose and fructose. Fruit vascular may be the part where sucrose first metabolized after it entered the fruit.

High Efficiency Cultivation Technology of Fruit Cucumber in Plant Factory

Plant factory, as the most advanced stage of the controlled environment, has drawn extensive concern in the world. In order to study high-yield vegetable varieties suitable for plant factory cultivation, we used fruit cucumber as an experimental material to study their high-yield cultivation technique in plant factory, and to clarify their planting management, cultivation cycle, yield and annual output. In our experimental condition, the average yield of the cucumber was about 2 500 g and their annual total yield per square meter could reach to 70 kg.

The HY5 transcription factor negatively regulates ethylene production by inhibiting ACS1 expression under blue light conditions in pear

Ethylene is the main factor controlling fruit ripening of pear(Pyrus ussuriensis).Ethylene production rate is negatively correlated with fruit shelf life;therefore,it is important to decrease the ethylene levels for optimal fruit storage.Here,we observed that blue light treatment could inhibit ethylene production and promote the expression of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5(PuHY5),a basic leucine zipper domain(bZIP)transcription factor.The following studies showed that PuHY5 could bind to the promoter of ACC synthase 1(PuACS1),a rate-limiting enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis,and inhibit its expression.For pears in which Pu HY5 was silenced,the ethylene production and PuACS1 expression were much higher than those in the control fruit.These results demonstrated that blue light inhibited ethylene production through the induction of Pu HY5 in pear.Our finding provides a new method for prolonging fruit shelf life.

Berry texture QTL and candidate gene analysis in grape(Vitis vinifera L.)

Berry texture is a noteworthy economic trait for grape;however,the genetic bases and the complex gene expression and regulatory mechanism for the diverse changes in berry texture are still poorly understood.In this study,the results suggest that it is difficult to obtain high-mesocarp firmness(MesF)and high-pericarp puncture hardness(PPH)grape cultivars with high pericarp brittleness(PerB).The high-density linkage map was constructed using whole-genome resequencing based on 151 F1 individuals originating from intraspecific hybridization between the firm-flesh cultivar‘Red Globe’and soft-flesh cultivar‘Muscat Hamburg’.The total length of the consensus map was 1613.17 cM,with a mean genetic distance between adjacent bin markers of 0.59 cM.Twenty-seven quantitative trait loci(QTLs)for berry MesF,PPH,and PerB were identified in linkage groups(LGs)1,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,14,16,and 17,including twelve QTLs that were firstly detected in LGs 6,11,and 14.Fourteen promising candidate genes were identified from the stable QTL regions in LGs 10,11,14,and 17.In particular,VvWARK2 and VvWARK8 refer to chromosome 17 and are two promising candidate genes for MesF and PPH,as the VvWARK8 gene may increase pectin residue binding with WARK for high berry firmness maintenance and the allele for VvWARK2 carrying the‘CC’and‘GA’genotypes at Chr17:1836764 and Chr17:1836770 may be associated with non-hard texture grape cultivars.In addition,real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)verification revealed that the promising candidate transcription factor genes VvMYB4-like,VvERF113,VvWRKY31,VvWRKY1,and VvNAC83 may regulate cell wall metabolism candidate gene expression for grape berry texture changes.