AUTHOR=Li Yun , Ren Rui , Pan Ruoyun , Bao Yuying , Xie Tao , Zeng Lihui , Fang Ting 

TITLE=Comparative transcriptome analysis identifies candidate genes related to sucrose accumulation in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) pulp

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1379750

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1379750

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Sucrose content is one of the important factors to determine longan fruit flavor quality. To gain deep insight of molecular mechanism on sucrose accumulation in longan, we conducted comparative transcriptomic analysis between low sucrose content longan cultivar ‘Qingkebaoyuan’ and high sucrose content cultivar ‘Songfengben’. A total of 12,350 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected across various development stages and different varieties, including hexokinase (HK) and sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), which are intricately linked to soluble sugar accumulation and metabolism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified magenta module, including <italic>DlSPS</italic> gene, was significantly positively correlated with sucrose content. Furthermore, transient expression unveiled <italic>DlSPS</italic> gene play crucial role in sucrose accumulation. Moreover, 5 transcription factors (MYB, ERF, bHLH, C2H2, and NAC) were potentially involved in <italic>DlSPS</italic> regulation. Our findings provide clues for sucrose metabolism, and lay the foundation for longan breeding in the future.</p>