ABIOTIC STRESS GENE 1 mediates aroma volatiles accumulation by activating MdLOX1a in apple

ABSTRACT Fruit aroma is an important organoleptic quality, which influences consumer preference and market competitiveness. Aroma compound synthesis pathways in plants have been widely identified of which the lipoxygenase pathway is crucial for fatty acid catabolism to form esters in apple. However, the regulatory mechanism of this pathway remains elusive. In this study, linear regression analysis and transgene verification revealed that the lipoxygenase MdLOX1a participates in ester biosynthesis. Yeast one-hybrid library screening indicated that a novel abiotic stress gene, MdASG1 ( ABIOTIC STRESS GENE 1 ), was a positive regulator of the MdLOX1a promoter and ester production based on yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays, and correlation analysis among eight apple cultivars. Overexpression of MdASG1 in apple and tomato stimulated the lipoxygenase pathway and increased the fatty acid-derived volatile content, whereas the latter was decreased by MdASG1 silencing. Furthermore, MdASG1 overexpression enhanced the salt-stress tolerance of tomato and apple ‘Orin’ calli accompanied by a higher content of fatty acid-derived volatiles compared with that of non-stressed transgenic tomato fruit. Collectively, these findings indicate that MdASG1 activates MdLOX1a expression and participates in the lipoxygenase pathway, subsequently increasing the accumulation of aroma compounds especially under moderate salt stress treatment. The results also provide insight into the regulation of aroma production, and the potential strategy of prudent development and utilization of saline-alkali land to produce high-quality fruit, thereby reducing pressure on arable land and ensuring national food security. One-sentence Summary MdASG1 directly activates MdLOX1a expression to promote aroma volatiles accumulation especially under moderate salt stress.