Expression analysis of banana <i>MaECHI1</i> during fruit ripening with different treatments

Abstract

The main function of endochitinase is believed to be pathogenesis related protein. However, more and more scientists reported the roles of endochitinase in plant growth and development. In order to investigate the role of endochitinase in postharvest banana fruit ripening, an endochitinase gene known as MaECHI1 had been isolated from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library. MaECHI1 was mainly expressed in banana fruit and flowers. Ethylene biosynthesis, gene expression and chitinase activities in different stages of postharvest banana fruit with or without ethylene and 1-methylcycle–propene (1-MCP) treatments were investigated. The results show that under ethylene treatment, banana ethylene production, gene expression, and chitinase activities increased markedly at the onset of banana ripening. Moreover, banana ethylene production and MaECHI1 gene expression peaks appeared earlier with ethylene treatment than with other treatment. MaECHI1 gene expression was markedly responsive to the fruit ripening process and to exogenous ethylene treatment.

Keywords: Banana (Musa acuminata L.AAA), endochitinase gene expression, ethylene production fruit ripening