Resolving the developmental distribution patterns of polyphenols and related primary metabolites in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) fruit.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a commercially important wild berry species, which accumulates high amounts of polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins, in the skin and flesh. Whilst a number of studies have quantified these phytochemicals in intact ripe bilberry fruit, we extend the current knowledge by investigating the spatial distribution of anthocyanin-associated polyphenols in fruit tissue, and study their links with primary metabolism during ripening. To address this, we used LC-MS and mass spectrometry imaging to measure and map primary and secondary metabolites in fruit.

The MADS-box gene FveSEP3 plays essential roles in flower organogenesis and fruit development in woodland strawberry.

Flower and fruit development are two key steps for plant reproduction. The ABCE model for flower development has been well established in model plant species; however, the functions of ABCE genes in fruit crops are less understood. In this work, we identified an EMS mutant named R27 in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), showing the conversion of petals, stamens, and carpels to sepaloid organs in a semidominant inheritance fashion.

Genomic Signatures of Domestication Selection in the Australasian Snapper ().

Domestication of teleost fish is a recent development, and in most cases started less than 50 years ago. Shedding light on the genomic changes in key economic traits during the domestication process can provide crucial insights into the evolutionary processes involved and help inform selective breeding programmes. Here we report on the recent domestication of a native marine teleost species in New Zealand, the Australasian snapper ().

Bread breakdown pathways during mastication: impact of wheat bran fortification.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of wheat bran fortification on the mastication process of bread. White wheat bread (WB) and bran-fortified wheat bread (BB) were consumed by eighteen panellists. The bolus was collected at four different mastication stages and characterized by properties of hydration, particle size, and texture.

The Gillenia trifoliata genome reveals dynamics correlated with growth and reproduction in Rosaceae.

The Rosaceae family has striking phenotypic diversity and high syntenic conservation. Gillenia trifoliata is sister species to the Maleae tribe of apple and ~1000 other species. Gillenia has many putative ancestral features, such as herb/sub-shrub habit, dry fruit-bearing and nine base chromosomes.

Zinc-finger protein MdBBX7/MdCOL9, a target of MdMIEL1 E3 ligase, confers drought tolerance in apple.

Water deficit is one of the main challenges for apple (Malus × domestica) growth and productivity. Breeding drought-tolerant cultivars depends on a thorough understanding of the drought responses of apple trees. Here, we identified the zinc-finger protein B-BOX 7/CONSTANS-LIKE 9 (MdBBX7/MdCOL9), which plays a positive role in apple drought tolerance.

Invasive potential of tropical fruit flies in temperate regions under climate change.

Tropical fruit flies are considered among the most economically important invasive species detected in temperate areas of the United States and the European Union. Detections often trigger quarantine and eradication programs that are conducted without a holistic understanding of the threat posed. Weather-driven physiologically-based demographic models are used to estimate the geographic range, relative abundance, and threat posed by four tropical tephritid fruit flies (Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, oriental fruit fly, and Mexican fruit fly) in North and Central America, and the European-Mediterranean region under extant and climate change weather (RCP8.

Epigenetic inheritance and reproductive mode in plants and animals.

Epigenetic inheritance is another piece of the puzzle of nongenetic inheritance, although the prevalence, sources, persistence, and phenotypic consequences of heritable epigenetic marks across taxa remain unclear. We systematically reviewed over 500 studies from the past 5 years to identify trends in the frequency of epigenetic inheritance due to differences in reproductive mode and germline development. Genetic, intrinsic (e.

Synthesis and Electrophysiological Testing of Carbonyl Pheromone Analogues for Carposinid Moths.

Sex pheromone analogues were synthesized and tested on two pest carposinid moth species: the guava moth, , and the raspberry bud moth, . The pheromone analogues used for the electroantennogram testing included ()-11-methylenenonadec-7-ene, ()-nonadec-12-en-9-amine, ()-11-methoxynonadec-7-ene, ()-1-(octylsulfinyl)-dec-3-ene, and ()-nonadec-12-en-9-ol. An imine analogue, -(()-nonadec-12-en-9-ylidene)cyclopropanamine, was also synthesized but was too unstable for testing with the moths.

MYBA and MYBPA transcription factors co-regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in blue-coloured berries.

The regulatory network of R2R3 MYB transcription factors in anthocyanin biosynthesis is not fully understood in blue-coloured berries containing delphinidin compounds. We used blue berries of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) to comprehensively characterise flavonoid-regulating R2R3 MYBs, which revealed a new type of co-regulation in anthocyanin biosynthesis between members of MYBA-, MYBPA1- and MYBPA2-subgroups. VmMYBA1, VmMYBPA1.

Red and blue light treatments of ripening bilberry fruits reveal differences in signalling through abscisic acid-regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis.

The biosynthesis of anthocyanins has been shown to be influenced by light quality. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the light-mediated regulation of fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis are not well understood. In this study, we analysed the effects of supplemental red and blue light on the anthocyanin biosynthesis in non-climacteric bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.

Competition between anthocyanin and kaempferol glycosides biosynthesis affects pollen tube growth and seed set of Malus.

Flavonoids play important roles in regulating plant growth and development. In this study, three kaempferol 3-O-glycosides were identified and mainly accumulated in flowers but not in leaves or fruits of Malus. In Malus, flower petal color is normally white, but some genotypes have red flowers containing anthocyanin.

Peridermal fruit skin formation in Actinidia sp. (kiwifruit) is associated with genetic loci controlling russeting and cuticle formation.

Background: The skin (exocarp) of fleshy fruit is hugely diverse across species. Most fruit types have a live epidermal skin covered by a layer of cuticle made up of cutin while a few create an outermost layer of dead cells (peridermal layer).

Results: In this study we undertook crosses between epidermal and peridermal skinned kiwifruit, and showed that epidermal skin is a semi-dominant trait.

Red light-induced kumquat fruit coloration is attributable to increased carotenoid metabolism regulated by FcrNAC22.

Carotenoids play vital roles in the coloration of plant tissues and organs, particularly fruits; however, the regulation of carotenoid metabolism in fruits during ripening is largely unknown. Here, we show that red light promotes fruit coloration by inducing accelerated degreening and carotenoid accumulation in kumquat fruits. Transcriptome profiling revealed that a NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC2) family transcription factor, FcrNAC22, is specifically induced in red light-irradiated fruits.

Grapevine rootstocks drive the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in New Zealand vineyards.

Aim: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are often regarded as non-specific symbionts, but some AMF communities show host preference in various ecosystems including vineyards. Grapevine plants are very responsive to AMF colonization. Although these fungi have potentially significant applications for sustainable agricultural ecosystems, there is a gap in knowledge regarding AMF-grapevine interactions worldwide and especially in New Zealand.

Construction of a high-density genetic map for hexaploid kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa) using genotyping by sequencing.

Commercially grown kiwifruit (genus Actinidia) are generally of two sub-species which have a base haploid genome of 29 chromosomes. The yellow-fleshed Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis, is either diploid (2n = 2x = 58) or tetraploid (2n = 4x = 116) and the green-fleshed cultivar A.

Influence of Irradiation on the Biology of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Fifth-instar brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stål) nymphs were treated by gamma-radiation 60Co at different doses of 8-64 Gy to investigate their irradiation biology and potential for the sterile insect technique (SIT). At adult emergence, males were mated with non-irradiated virgin females to assess the longevity of both sexes, female fecundity, and egg sterility. Biological parameters of their F1 progeny were investigated to determine whether negative effects from parental exposure to radiation were inherited.

A gene expression atlas for kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) and network analysis of transcription factors.

Background: Transcriptomic studies combined with a well annotated genome have laid the foundations for new understanding of molecular processes. Tools which visualise gene expression patterns have further added to these resources. The manual annotation of the Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) genome has resulted in a high quality set of 33,044 genes.

Trifolium repens and T. subterraneum modify their nodule microbiome in response to soil pH.

Aims: The influence of soil edaphic factors on recruitment and composition of bacteria in the legume nodule is unknown. Typically, low (acidic) pH soils have a negative effect on the plant-rhizobia symbiosis and thereby reduce clover growth. However, the specific relationship between soil pH and the ecology of rhizobia is unknown, in either their free-living or nodule-inhabiting states.

Shy Girl, a kiwifruit suppressor of feminization, restricts gynoecium development via regulation of cytokinin metabolism and signalling.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is a dioecious, long-living woody perennial vine. Reduced generation time and induction of hermaphroditism can accelerate crop improvement and facilitate alternative farming for better food security in the face of climate change. Previous studies identified that CENTRORADIALIS genes CEN and CEN4 act to repress flowering, whilst the male-specific Shy Girl (SyGl) gene with homology to type-C cytokinin response regulators could repress gynoecium development in model plants.

Transcriptomics Integrated with Free and Bound Terpenoid Aroma Profiling during "Shine Muscat" ( × ) Grape Berry Development Reveals Coordinate Regulation of MEP Pathway and Terpene Synthase Gene Expression.

Terpenes and their derivatives are important biomarkers of grape quality as they contribute to the flavor and aroma of grapes. However, the molecular basis of terpene biosynthesis throughout the grapevine phenological developmental cycle remains elusive. Our current study investigates the free and bound terpene biosynthesis of berries at different phenological stages from preveraison to harvest.

Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) as a Disinfection Technology for Bacterial Inactivation with a Focus on Fruit and Vegetables.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is generated by treating water with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) using controllable parameters, such as plasma-forming voltage, carrier gas, temperature, pulses, or frequency as required. PAW is reported to have lower pH, higher conductivity, and higher oxygen reduction potential when compared with untreated water due to the presence of reactive species. PAW has received significant attention from researchers over the last decade due to its non-thermal and non-toxic mode of action especially for bacterial inactivation.

Abscisic acid homeostasis is mediated by feedback regulation of MdMYB88 and MdMYB124.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in various plant processes. In response to drought stress, plants quickly accumulate ABA, but the regulatory mechanism of ABA accumulation is largely unknown, especially in woody plants. In this study, we report that MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 are myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factors critical for ABA accumulation in apple trees (Malus x domestica) following drought, and this regulation is negatively controlled by ABA.

Synthesis and Biological Testing of Ester Pheromone Analogues for Two Fruitworm Moths (Carposinidae).

A range of ester pheromone analogues for carposinid moths were synthesized and evaluated for biological activity. The analogues aimed to take advantage of the structural commonality of (7)-alken-11-ones found in this family. Analogues were tested on two pest species: and .