The ethylene‐responsive transcription factor ERF024 is a novel regulator of climacteric fruit ripening in melon

Abstract

SUMMARYFruit ripening is an essential developmental stage in Angiosperms triggered by hormonal signals such as ethylene, a major player in climacteric ripening. Melon is a unique crop showing both climacteric and non‐climacteric cultivars, offering an ideal model for dissecting the genetic mechanisms underpinning this process. The major quantitative trait locus ETHQV8.1 was previously identified as a key regulator of melon fruit ripening. Here, we narrowed down ETHQV8.1 to a precise genomic region containing a single gene, the transcription factor CmERF024. Functional validation using CRISPR/Cas9 knock‐out plants unequivocally identified CmERF024 as the causal gene governing ETHQV8.1. The erf024 mutants exhibited suppression of ethylene production, leading to a significant delay and attenuation of fruit ripening. Integrative multi‐omic analyses encompassing RNA‐seq, DAP‐seq, and DNase‐seq revealed the association of CmERF024 with chromatin accessibility and gene expression dynamics throughout fruit ripening. Our data suggest CmERF024 as a novel regulator of climacteric fruit ripening in melon.