Integrated analysis of nutritional quality changes and molecular regulation in ‘Qingcui’ plum fruit treated with 1-MCP during storage

To elucidate the effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment on molecular and nutritional quality changes during ‘Qingcui’ plum fruit ripening, metabolomic profiling and transcriptome analysis were conducted to identify key metabolites and differentially expressed genes. Application of 1-MCP suppressed ‘Qingcui’ plum fruit softening and maintained higher soluble solids content. Metabolome profiling identified numerous metabolites that differentially accumulated during ripening and significantly contributed to the nutritional quality of plum fruit. These included sugars, organic acids, amino acids, and phenolic compounds. A special focus was given to twelve phenolic-related metabolites that were reduced by 1-MCP treatment during ripening. Transcriptome profiling revealed the enrichment of transcription factors and biosynthetic genes related to phenolic-related metabolites among differentially expressed genes, indicating that 1-MCP likely influences phenolic-related metabolite levels through transcriptional regulation of their biosynthetic pathways. This integrated analysis of metabolome and transcriptome data provides new insights into the complex mechanisms controlling the nutritional quality of ‘Qingcui’ plum fruit in response to 1-MCP. Understanding the regulatory networks influencing plum fruit ripening can be valuable for enhancing its nutritional value and facilitating future plum breeding efforts.