Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses highlight the influence of lipid changes on the post-harvest softening of Pyrus ussurian Max. ‘Zaoshu Shanli’

How lipids influence post-harvest softening in pears is not well understood. LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) and RNA-Seq analyses of 'Zaoshu Shanli' (ZSSL) pears were conducted during post-harvest storage. This approach enabled the identification of 98 different metabolites that upregulated and 95 that downregulated at 18 days post-harvest in ZSSL fruits to day 0. Metabolites were significantly enriched in KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis. When comparing fruits from day 18 to those from day 0 post-harvest, RNA-seq analyses further highlighted 6496 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ZSSL fruits that were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways including glycerophospholipid metabolism and fatty acid degradation. Overall, these results suggested that glycerophospholipid metabolism is closely related to the post-harvest softening of pears. Further research will be essential in order to fully explore the functional implications of and mechanistic basis for these findings.