Work

Functional characterization of PavIAA6 in sweet cherry: a key regulator of pigmentation, flavor, and nutrient accumulation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The ripening of sweet cherries involves synchronized improvements in color, taste, and nutritional content. Therefore, it is crucial to study changes at the genetic level during the ripening of sweet cherries. RESULTS: Determining the essential genes involved in ripening is vital for fruit quality management. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of various ripening stages identified PavIAA6, a key Aux/IAA gene family member, as having an expression pattern closely associated with fruit color flavor, and nutrient changes. Functional investigations, including overexpression (PavIAA6-OE) and virus-induced gene silencing (PavIAA6-VIGS), demonstrated that PavIAA6 drives the ripening process by integrating hormone signaling and metabolic pathways. PavIAA6 is vital for modulating the expression of essential genes related to auxin and abscisic acid metabolism, including PavYUCC, PavNCED, and PavZEP, which are involved in indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid biosynthesis. Moreover, PavIAA6 activates flavonoid biosynthesis genes PavANS, PavUFGT, and PavDFR, as well as ascorbic acid biosynthesis genes PavGPP and PavGDH, thereby promoting anthocyanin and antioxidant accumulation. PavIAA6 modulates the composition of soluble sugars by upregulating the sucrose metabolism-related genes PavINV and PavSUS2. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our findings reveal that PavIAA6 is a key ripening-promoting factor and suggest its potential as a novel molecular target for the breeding of improved sweet cherry varieties.

Source: BMC Plant Biology

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-025-07877-w