PPZAT12 expression in peach fruit: a transcription factor with a role against chilling injury

GISMODI, MAURO; GABILONDO, JULIETA; BUDDE, CLAUDIO OLAF; LARA, MARÍA VALERIA; DRINCOVICH, MARÍA FABIANA; BUSTAMANTE, CLAUDIA

Rosario

Congreso; L Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2014

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Harvested peaches deteriorate quickly at ambient temperature. Refrigeration s therefore used to prevent the rapid fruit decay and to extent fruit shelf life. However, cold storage can generate physiological disorders collectively term ?chilling injury? CI). Heat treatment (HT) prior to cold storage has been proved to be an efficient post-harvest technology given that if prevents or alleviates cI symptoms while maintaining organoleptic quality. To address the molecular mechanisms associated with CI, our group has characterized the differential transcriptome and proteome of peaches cv. Dixiland subjected to HT. One of the HT-induced transcripts was PpZAT12 which encodes a C2H2 zinc finger protein. RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that PpZAT12 transcriptional levels are induced by HT and short-term refrigeration. Moreover, 21-dyas-refirgerated samples from different cultivars with contrasting susceptibility to CI showed distinct transcript accumulation patterns. PpZAT12 promoter analysis reveals the presence of classic hormone- and stress-response cis-acting elements. We also aimed to define PpZAT12 targets in peaches based on transcriptomic information from ZAT12-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants which has augmented freezing tolerances. These results point that PpZAAT12 could have a function against CI and may contribute to HT effectiveness in countering CI symptoms.