Postharvest Treatment of Hydrogen Sulfide Delays the Softening of Chilean Strawberry Fruit by Downregulating the Expression of Key Genes Involved in Pectin Catabolism

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays several physiological roles in plants. Despite the evidence, the role of H2S on cell wall disassembly and its implications on fleshy fruit firmness remains unknown. In this work, the effect of H2S treatment on the shelf-life, cell wall polymers and cell wall modifying-related gene expression of Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) fruit was tested during postharvest storage. The treatment with H2S prolonged the shelf-life of fruit by an effect of optimal dose. Fruit treated with 0.2 mM H2S maintained significantly higher fruit firmness than non-treated fruit, reducing its decay and tripling its shelf-life. Additionally, H2S treatment delays pectin degradation throughout the storage period and significantly downregulated the expression of genes encoding for pectinases, such as polygalacturonase, pectate lyase, and expansin. This evidence suggests that H2S as a gasotransmitter prolongs the post-harvest shelf-life of the fruit and prevents its fast softening rate by a downregulation of the expression of key pectinase genes, which leads to a decreased pectin degradation.

Transcriptomics Reveals the ERF2-bHLH2-CML5 Module Responses to H2S and ROS in Postharvest Calcium Deficiency Apples

“…A number of studies have reported that H 2 S delayed postharvest senescence of various fruits and vegetables [ 29 ]. For example, postharvest treatment of H 2 S was found to delay the softening of tomato [ 30 ] and Chilean strawberry ( Fragaria chiloensis ) fruit [ 31 ], thereby slowing postharvest senescence. In addition, H 2 S can help to eliminate excessive ROS in harvested kiwifruit by activating antioxidative systems [ 32 ].…”

H2S in Horticultural Plants: Endogenous Detection by an Electrochemical Sensor, Emission by a Gas Detector, and Its Correlation with L-Cysteine Desulfhydrase (LCD) Activity

“…However, the information concerning H 2 S in horticultural species is still scarce; therefore, the present study provides new information on the content and emission of H 2 S in horticultural plants, particularly in the species of the Allium genus. This may be of great importance in horticultural crops, considering that H 2 S applied exogenously has been shown to exert multiple benefits for vegetables and fruits, since it has the capacity to preserve their quality during postharvest storage and prevents infections by pathogens because H 2 S stimulates phytohormone, reactive oxygen, and nitrogen metabolism [ 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. Furthermore, the identification of different LCD isozymes in the analyzed horticultural species indicates the relevance of this enzyme in H 2 S metabolism and raises new questions about the specific function of each isozyme which could be modulated by environmental conditions or physiological processes such as was observed in the ripening of pepper fruits.…”

Free Radicals Mediated Redox Signaling in Plant Stress Tolerance

“…Similarly, the exogenous application of H 2 S has been demarcated to improve the shelf life and quality of tomato post-harvest fruits by inhibiting the protease activity and decreasing the ERF and beta-amylase gene expression with higher nutritional contents [ 154 ]. In another study, exogenous application of H 2 S differentially regulated the expression of cell wall modifying related genes and critical genes involved in pectinase enzyme, thereby preventing rapid fruit softening in the fruits of Fragaria chiloensis [ 155 ]. Recently, exogenous application of H 2 S on the activity of various biochemical markers linked to fruit ripening in the fruits of banana and pointed gourd in the post-harvest stage was analyzed to detect their quality and shelf life.…”