Ethylene mediates the branching of the jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthesis pathway by suppressing anthocyanin biosynthesis in red Chinese pear fruits.

Flavonoid accumulation in most fruits is enhanced by ethylene and jasmonate. However, little is known about the hormone functions related to red pear fruit coloration or their combined effects and potential underlying mechanisms. Various treatments were used to investigate the flavonoid metabolite profile and pear transcriptome to verify the effects of ethylene and jasmonate on flavonoid biosynthesis in red pear fruits as well as the mechanism behind this. Ethylene inhibits anthocyanin biosynthesis in red Chinese pear fruits, whereas jasmonate increases anthocyanin and flavone/isoflavone biosyntheses. The branching of the jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is determined by ethylene. Co-expression network and Mfuzz analyses revealed 4,368 candidate transcripts. Additionally, ethylene suppresses PpMYB10 and PpMYB114 expression via TF repressors, ultimately decreasing anthocyanin biosynthesis. Jasmonate induces anthocyanin accumulation through transcriptional or post-translational regulation of TFs-like MYB and bHLH in the absence of ethylene. However, jasmonate induces ethylene biosynthesis and the associated signalling pathway in pear, thereby decreasing anthocyanin production, increasing the availability of the precursors for flavone/isoflavone biosynthesis and enhancing deep yellow fruit coloration. We herein present new phenotypes and fruit coloration regulatory patterns controlled by jasmonate and ethylene, and confirm that the regulation of fruit coloration is complex.