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Evolutionary analysis and role of invertase inhibitors in regulating sucrose metabolism in peach fruit under chilling stress
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  • Xingxing Wang,
  • Yi Chen,
  • Shu Jiang,
  • Feng Xu,
  • Hongfei Wang,
  • Yingying Wei,
  • Xingfeng Shao
Xingxing Wang
Ningbo University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Yi Chen
Ningbo University
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Shu Jiang
Ningbo University
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Feng Xu
Ningbo University
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Hongfei Wang
Ningbo University
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Yingying Wei
Ningbo University
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Xingfeng Shao
Ningbo University
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Abstract

Sucrose metabolism, particularly the decomposition of sucrose by invertase, plays a central role in plants’ response to cold stress. Invertases inhibitors (INHs) evolved with higher plants as essential regulators of sucrose metabolism. By limiting invertase activity, INHs keep cellular sugar levels elevated, which provides enhanced protection for plants under stress. As the only vacuolar invertase (VIN) gene in peaches sensitive to chilling temperatures, our results showed that PpVIN2 expression increases significantly during cold storage, while VIN activity increases more modestly. We also found that peaches transiently overexpressing PpINH1 had decreased VIN activity. The interaction of PpINH1 and PpVIN2 was shown by yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and in vitro, with recombinant proteins. During cold storage, trehalose treated peaches had significantly increased PpINH1 expression, decreased VIN activity, and significantly higher sucrose content than untreated fruit. As a result, treated fruit had enhanced resistance to chilling injury. Collectively, our data show that the post-translational repression of VIN activity by PpINH1 helps maintain sucrose levels in peaches during cold storage, thereby improving resistance to chilling injury.