Effects of Fruit Bagging on Anthocyanin Accumulation and Related Gene Expression in Peach

Abstract

Fruit bagging is a popular agricultural practice that has been widely used to physically protect fruit. However, the application of fruit bags usually has various effects on fruit quality. In this study, three kinds of paper bags with different colors and transmittance were applied to investigate their effects on the skin coloration and related gene expression of peach (Prunus persica). Our findings showed that bagging treatment inhibited anthocyanin accumulation and the expression of related structural and regulatory genes in the peach pericarp. To a certain extent, the inhibitory effects were negatively correlated with the light transmittance of these paper bags. The expression of MYB10.1 was also suppressed by fruit bagging and was highly consistent with anthocyanin content in peach pericarps, which indicated that MYB10.1 might have a critical role in the light-mediated regulation of anthocyanin production in peach pericarps. These findings further enrich our theoretical knowledge of the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis in peach fruit and provide a theoretical basis for common horticultural practices.