Physiological And Molecular Regulation of Fruit Ripening in Blueberry

Fruit ripening is a highly regulated developmental process. From a human diet perspective, fruit are a reservoir of antioxidants and vitamins. Until recently, a few fruits have served as model systems to investigate mechanisms associated with fruit ripening. However, aspects of ripening physiology and their regulation by transcription factors and hormones are fruit-specific, and show substantial variability across fruits. Blueberry production has increased worldwide due to its popularity as a fruit rich in antioxidants. However, ripening physiology is poorly understood in blueberry. Hence, advances in breeding fruit with high quality and development of tools to manipulate ripening and fruit quality have been limited. In this proposal three aims are presented to advance our understanding of blueberry ripening physiology. In Aim 1, we propose to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of ripening using analyses of expression of ripening-related genes, metabolite compositions, and hormone concentrations. In Aim 2, we propose to investigate the role of candidate blueberry ripening-related transcription factors. We will functionally validate their roles by overexpression in tomato and blueberry and identify their targets using ChIP-Sequencing in blueberry. In Aim 3, we propose to fill gaps in our understanding of hormonal regulation of blueberry fruit ripening, primarily that of abscisic acid and auxin, and their interactions with ethylene. Collectively, the proposed work will enhance our understanding of blueberry ripening physiology. This knowledge will help improve blueberry productivity and sustainability, and result in an increase in yield and fruit quality.

Funder: USDA NIFA

Amount: $649,992

PI: Savithri Nambeesan, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences