Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Provide Insights into the Watercore Disorder on “Akibae” Pear Fruit

Watercore is a physiological disorder that commonly occurs in sand pear cultivars. The typical symptom of watercore tissue is transparency, and it is often accompanied by browning, breakdown and a bitter taste during fruit ripening. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of watercore affecting fruit quality, this study performed transcriptome and metabolome analyses on watercore pulp from “Akibae” fruit 125 days after flowering. The present study found that the “Akibae” pear watercore pulp contained higher sorbitol and sucrose than healthy fruit. Moreover, the structure of the cell wall was destroyed, and the content of pectin, cellulose and hemicellulose was significantly decreased. In addition, the content of ethanol and acetaldehyde was significantly increased, and the content of polyphenol was significantly decreased. Watercore induced up-regulated expression levels of sorbitol synthesis-related (sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, S6PDH) and sucrose synthesis-related genes (sucrose synthesis, SS), whereas it inhibited the expression of sorbitol decomposition-related genes (sorbitol dehydrogenase, SDH) and sorbitol transport genes (sorbitol transporter, SOT). Watercore also strongly induced increased expression levels of cell wall-degrading enzymes (polygalactosidase, PG; ellulase, CX; pectin methylesterase, PME), as well as ethanol synthesis-related (alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH), acetaldehyde synthesis-related (pyruvate decarboxylase, PDC) and polyphenol decomposition-related genes (polyphenol oxidase, PPO). Moreover, the genes that are involved in ethylene (1-aminocyclopropane- 1-carboxylate oxidase, ACO; 1-aminocyclopropane- 1-carboxylate synthase, ACS) and abscisic acid (short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase, SDR; aldehyde oxidase, AAO) synthesis were significantly up-regulated. In addition, the bitter tasting amino acids, alkaloids and polyphenols were significantly increased in watercore tissue. Above all, these findings suggested that the metabolic disorder of sorbitol and sucrose can lead to an increase in plant hormones (abscisic acid and ethylene) and anaerobic respiration, resulting in aggravated fruit rot and the formation of bitter substances.