Identification of VHA genes related to organic acid metabolism and functional analysis of key genes in Cerasus humilis

Abstract

The content and types of organic acids contribute significantly to the varietal differences in the quality of Cerasus humilis fruits. The molecular mechanisms underlying the accumulation of organic acids in C. humilis remain poorly understood. The study first identified the role of VHA family genes in malic acid metabolism in the low-acid variety '3–19–3′ and the high-acid variety 'Jinou 1′, identifying the VHA genes ChVHA-V0-a3 and ChVHA-V1-G3 that may be related to malic acid metabolism. Furthermore, we conducted extensive validations of the candidate VHA genes in mature fruit of Cerasus humilis 45 accessions, as well as during the fruit development of the low-acid variety '3–6–8′ and the high-acid variety 'Ziou 1′. Finally, the transient transformation technology was utilized to verify the functions of the candidate VHA genes. The results from this study provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms behind the regulation of malic acid production in C. humilis fruits.