Postharvest application effect of agave fructans on anthracnose disease, defense-related enzyme activities, and quality attributes in avocado fruit.

The postharvest application of high degree of polymerization agave fructans (HDPAF) was tested, evaluating anthracnose disease, defense-related enzyme activities, and quality attributes in avocado fruit. Application of a 20% HDPAF solution showed a reduction in anthracnose severity (60%) and incidence (34%) compared to the other concentrations evaluated and the water-treated control. Polyphenoloxidase activity increased 4.6 times more 24 h after treatment. In addition, peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase enzyme activity was 4.34 and 1.7 times higher than the control at 0.5 h after treatment. HDPAF retrieves the deceleration of both firmness loss and physiological weight loss compared to the control. Regarding quality parameters such as color, pH, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity, no significant differences were observed between treatments compared to the control; therefore, these parameters were not negatively affected by HDPAF treatments, but a positive effect on the induction of the defense system is shown.

Activation of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway reveals a novel action mechanism of the elicitor effect of chitosan on avocado fruit epicarp.

Secondary metabolites play an important role in the avocado fruit defense system. Phenolic compounds are the main biosynthesized metabolites of this system response. Our objective in this investigation was to evaluate the induction of specific metabolic pathways using chitosan as an elicitor. Extracts obtained from avocado in intermediate and consumption maturity stages treated with chitosan exhibited an increase in antifungal activity, which caused inhibition of mycelial growth and a decrease in sporulation as well as spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Additionally, RNA from epicarp of the fruits treated and untreated with chitosan was obtained in order to evaluate the expression of genes related to phenylpropanoids and the antifungal compound 1-acetoxy-2-hydroxy-4-oxo-heneicosa-12,15-diene biosynthesis. An increased in gene expression of genes that participates in the phenylpropanoids route was observed during the stage of physiological fruit maturity, others genes such as Flavonol synthase (Fls), increased only in samples obtained from fruit treated with chitosan at consumption maturity. Our results reveal a new molecular mechanism where chitosan induces a specific accumulation of phenylpropanoids and antifungal diene; this partially explains avocado's resistance against fungal pathogens. Finally, we discuss the molecular connections between chitosan induction and gene expression to explain the biological events that orchestrate the resistance pathways in fruits.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Avocado Hass (Persea americana Mill) in the Interaction System Fruit-Chitosan-Colletotrichum.

Avocado (Persea americana) is one of the most important crops in Mexico as it is the main producer, consumer, and exporter of avocado fruit in the world. However, successful avocado commercialization is often reduced by large postharvest losses due to Colletotrichum sp., the causal agent of anthracnose. Chitosan is known to have a direct antifungal effect and acts also as an elicitor capable of stimulating a defense response in plants. However, there is little information regarding the genes that are either activated or repressed in fruits treated with chitosan. The aim of this study was to identify by RNA-seq the genes differentially regulated by the action of low molecular weight chitosan in the avocado-chitosan-Colletotrichum interaction system. The samples for RNA-seq were obtained from fruits treated with chitosan, fruits inoculated with Colletotrichum and fruits both treated with chitosan and inoculated with the fungus. Non-treated and non-inoculated fruits were also analyzed. Expression profiles showed that in short times, the fruit-chitosan system presented a greater number of differentially expressed genes, compared to the fruit-pathogen system. Gene Ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes showed a large number of metabolic processes regulated by chitosan, including those preventing the spread of Colletotrichum. It was also found that there is a high correlation between the expression of genes in silico and qPCR of several genes involved in different metabolic pathways.