Unraveling Molecular and Hormonal Interactions in Fruit Development and Ripening

Six major classes of plant hormones contain auxin, abscisic acid, ethylene, cytokinin, gibberellin, and brassinosterols. Fruit development and ripening is a highly complex and precisely regulated process, and the physiological and biochemical processes associated with development and ripening are regulated at multiple levels, including transcription, post-transcriptional translation, protein, and metabolism. The regulatory influence of plant hormones on fruit development and ripening is neither confined to a single specific hormone nor restricted to a particular stage. Instead, a complex network of interactions among multiple plant hormones participates in controlling various aspects of fruit development and ripening. Understanding the molecular signaling through which different plant hormones regulate the fruit development and ripening processes, and identifying key regulatory factors within their interaction networks, can lay the foundation for establishing a comprehensive hormonal signaling network.

Plant hormones play pivotal regulatory roles in the processes of fruit development and ripening, which involve intricate hormonal interaction networks. However, current research findings predominantly focus on the regulatory functions of individual signaling molecules, leaving the interactions among hormones poorly understood. Moreover, the existing knowledge is largely derived from studies on the growth and development of Arabidopsis thaliana or other plant models, with scant attention paid to hormonal crosstalk specifically regulating fruit development and ripening. Consequently, key signaling components governing these interactions remain unidentified. The improvement of genome sequencing and the development of genomics technology have provided new research ideas for the biological study of fruit growth, development, ripening, and senescence. The use of genomics technology to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of hormone interactions during fruit development and ripening, to study the signaling interactions of different phytohormones during fruit development and ripening, and to identify the key regulatory factors in the interactions, not only revealed the direct association between phytohormones and fruit development and ripening, but also provided a possibility for the development and ripening control of fruits and even flavor improvement through the modulation of hormone signals or key molecular signals.

This Research Topic invites researchers to submit original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that cover various aspects of fruit development and ripening. Key areas of interest include:
• Roles of plant hormones in fruit development and ripening.
• Molecular signaling pathways involved in fruit development and ripening.
• Genetic regulation and transcriptional programs controlling fruit development and ripening.
• Environmental factors influencing fruit development and ripening.
• Comparative studies of fruit development and ripening in different fruit species.
• Use of biotechnological tools to improve fruit quality.
• Identification and functional analysis of novel genes involved in fruit development and ripening.
• Interaction between molecular pathways and hormonal networks in fruit development and ripening.