Carotenoid Accumulation and Carotenogenic Genes Expression During Two Types of Persimmon Fruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Diospyros kaki</Emphasis> L.) Development

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.), belonging to the Ebenaceae family, has been used not only as a fresh fruit, but also for many medicinal uses. Carotenoids are the main pigment in persimmon fruit, which contribute significantly to fruit color and nutritional quality due to their composition and content. In this study, fruit quality indices, carotenoid contents and expression of carotenogenic genes were analyzed in two types of persimmon fruit. The results demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between fruit color and the contents of main composition and total carotenoids. Carotenoid accumulation in persimmon fruit resulted from the interaction of carotenogenic genes, but the molecular mechanisms responsible for accumulation of carotenoids in two types of persimmon fruit had a few differences. As a complete unit, the relatively low expression level of phytoene synthase gene (DkPSY) in “Niuxinshi” resulted in low carotenoid contents or even under the detection limit at the early fruit developmental stages; but low carotenoid contents in “Nishimurawase” were due to the relatively low expression level of carotenogenic genes other than DkPSY. At the late fruit developmental stages, increased expression levels of DkPSY, phytoene desaturase gene and beta-carotene hydroxylase gene (DkBCH) induced elevated carotenoid contents; because all carotenogenic genes strongly expressed in “Nishimurawase”, a large amount of carotenoids were accumulated. In addition, β-cryptoxanthin was the main composition whose content increased with the fruit maturity changes, which was mainly because of DkBCH which might lead more conversion of β-carotene to β-cryptoxanthin.