PbGA2ox8 induces vascular-related anthocyanin accumulation and contributes to red stripe formation on pear fruit

Fruit with stripes,which are generally longitudinal,can occur naturally,but the bioprocesses underlying this phenomenon are unclear.Previously,we observed an atypical anthocyanin distribution that caused red-striped fruit on the spontaneous pear bud sport“Red Zaosu”(Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.).In this study,comparative transcriptome analysis of the sport and wild-type“Zaosu”revealed that this atypical anthocyanin accumulation was tightly correlated with abnormal overexpression of the gene-encoding gibberellin(GA)2-beta-dioxygenase 8,PbGA2ox8.Consistently,decreased methylation was also observed in the promoter region of PbGA2ox8 from“Red Zaosu”compared with“Zaosu”.Moreover,the GA levels in“Red Zaosu”seedlings were lower than those in“Zaosu”seedlings,and the application of exogenous GA4 reduced abnormal anthocyanin accumulation in“Red Zaosu”.Transient overexpression of PbGA2ox8 reduced the GA4 level and caused anthocyanin accumulation in pear fruit skin.Moreover,the presence of red stripes indicated anthocyanin accumulation in the hypanthial epidermal layer near vascular branches(VBs)in“Red Zaosu”.Transient overexpression of PbGA2ox8 resulting from vacuum infiltration induced anthocyanin accumulation preferentially in calcium-enriched areas near the vascular bundles in pear leaves.We propose a fruit-striping mechanism,in which the abnormal overexpression of PbGA2ox8 in“Red Zaosu”induces the formation of a longitudinal array of anthocyanin stripes near vascular bundles in fruit.

PbEIL1 acts upstream of PbCysp1 to regulate ovule senescence in seedless pear

Numerous environmental and endogenous signals control the highly orchestrated and intricate process of plant senescence.Ethylene,a well-known inducer of senescence,has long been considered a key endogenous regulator of leaf and flower senescence,but the molecular mechanism of ethylene-induced ovule senescence has not yet been elucidated.In this study,we found that blockage of fertilization caused ovule abortion in the pear cultivar‘1913’.According to transcriptome and phytohormone content data,ethylene biosynthesis was activated by pollination.At the same time,ethylene overaccumulated in ovules,where cells were sensitive to ethylene signals in the absence of fertilization.We identified a transcription factor in the ethylene signal response,ethylene-insensitive 3-like(EIL1),as a likely participant in ovule senescence.Overexpression of PbEIL1 in tomato caused precocious onset of ovule senescence.We further found that EIL1 could directly bind to the promoter of the SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED CYSTEINE PROTEINASE 1(PbCysp1)gene and act upstream of senescence.Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays revealed the interaction of the transcription factor and the promoter DNA sequence and demonstrated that PbEIL1 enhanced the action of PbCysp1.Collectively,our results provide new insights into how ethylene promotes the progression of unfertilized ovule senescence.