Comprehensive Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals the Flavonoid Metabolic Pathway Is Associated with Fruit Peel Coloration of Melon

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 26; no. 9; p. 2830
• Main Authors: Zhang, Aiai, Zheng, Jing, Chen, Xuemiao, Shi, Xueyin, Wang, Huaisong, Fu, Qiushi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.05.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Accumulation; Anemia; Anthocyanins; Biosynthesis; Biosynthetic Pathways - genetics; Carotenoids; Color; Coloration; Cucurbitaceae - genetics; Cucurbitaceae - metabolism; Flavones; flavonoid biosynthesis; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - metabolism; Flavonols; Fruit - metabolism; fruit peel color; Fruits; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Isoflavones; melon; Metabolic Networks and Pathways - genetics; Metabolic pathways; Metabolism; Metabolites; metabolome; Metabolome - genetics; Metabolomics; Molecular modelling; Phenotype; Pigmentation - genetics; Principal Component Analysis; transcriptome; Transcriptome - genetics; Transcriptomes; flavonoid biosynthesis; fruit peel color; melon; transcriptome; metabolome
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092830

The peel color is an important external quality of melon fruit. To explore the mechanisms of melon peel color formation, we performed an integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome with three different fruit peel samples (grey-green 'W', dark-green 'B', and yellow 'H'). A total of 40 differentially expressed flavonoids were identified. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that flavonoid biosynthesis was associated with the fruit peel coloration of melon. Twelve differentially expressed genes regulated flavonoids synthesis. Among them, nine (two , , three , , , and ) up-regulated genes were involved in the accumulation of flavones, flavanones, flavonols, and isoflavones, and three (2 and ) down-regulated genes were involved in the accumulation of anthocyanins. This study laid a foundation to understand the molecular mechanisms of melon peel coloration by exploring valuable genes and metabolites.