Molecular Mechanisms of Fruit Quality Formation in Fruit Trees, Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume in the series: Molecular Mechanisms of Fruit Quality Formation in Fruit Trees. The previous volume can be viewed here: Volume I

Fruits, rich in various nutrients, serve as an important component of the modern diet and provide many health benefits to humans. Growing demand for fruit is coupled with fruit quality concerns since quality largely determines a fruit’s acceptance among consumers and its market share and economic value.

Fruit quality includes both interior and exterior characteristics, including color, glossiness, size, texture, flavor, taste, and content of common and/or specific nutrients. These fruit quality characteristics are affected by environmental factors such as temperature, light, humidity, cultivation systems, and certain stresses. Thus, fruit quality is complex and attracts extensive attention in research.

Unlike other horticultural crops such as vegetables and flowers, fruit trees have a long juvenile phase, which poses difficulties for fruit quality studies. With the application and advancement of omics and gene editing technologies, the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit development and ripening are gradually being elucidated in model plants. However, we need a more comprehensive understanding of the physio-ecological processes and molecular mechanisms of fruit quality formation, especially for fruit trees. Research advances in this area will greatly facilitate the cultivation of high-quality, nutrient-rich germplasms for fruit trees.

In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of any type of article published by Frontiers in Plant Science that dissects the molecular mechanisms of fruit quality formation in fruit trees. We particularly encourage studies focused on the following themes:

• High-throughput phenotypic evaluation during fruit development
• Influence of different environmental factors on fruit quality formation
• Multi-omics (genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, etc.) applications to reveal the regulatory mechanisms of fruit development in fruit trees
• Gene mapping and functional analysis of key genes and gene families related to fruit quality traits
• Marker-assisted selection, genome editing, and highly efficient transformation studies for fruit tree breeding