Transcriptome Analysis of Apples in High-Temperature Treatments Reveals a Role of MdLBD37 in the Inhibition of Anthocyanin Accumulation

Coloring in apple fruit due to anthocyanin accumulation is inhibited by high temperature; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents were determined and compared between cv. ‘Redchief Delicious’ apple fruits at 25 °C and 35 °C treatments. The high temperature (35 °C) treatment substantially decreased total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents. The transcriptomes of 25 °C- and 35 °C-treated apples were analyzed by high-throughput RNA sequencing. A total of 8354 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected at four time points corresponding to the two temperature treatments. The up-regulated DEGs were annotated using GO as well as KEGG databases. A network module of 528 genes (including 21 transcription factors) most associated with the total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents was constructed by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). In the WGCNA module, we unearthed a LOB domain-containing gene designated as MdLBD37. The expression of MdLBD37 was sharply up-regulated by high temperature and negatively correlated with the total anthocyanin and cyanidin 3-galactoside contents. Overexpression of MdLBD37 in apple fruit and calli decreased the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, such as MdCHI, MdCHS, MdF3H, MdANS, MdDFR, and MdUFGT, along with anthocyanin accumulation. Our results suggested that MdLBD37 significantly influenced the high-temperature inhibition of anthocyanin accumulation in apples. The findings shed more light on the mechanism of anthocyanin inhibition during high-temperature stress in apples.