Transcriptomic analysis reveals the inhibition mechanism of pulsed light on fungal growth and ochratoxin A biosynthesis in Aspergillus carbonarius. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yan; Zheng, Yong; Zhou, Aiyun; Neng, Jing; Wu, Di; Li Shen, Xiao; Lou, Xiuyu; Yang, Kai
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 165(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Pulsed light -- Aspergillus carbonarius -- Transcriptome -- Ochratoxin A -- Mechanism; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112501
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Pulsed light (PL) inhibited the growth of A. carbonarius in a dose-dependent manner. High-energy PL decreased OTA synthetic genes expression and reduced OTA production. PL destroyed cell membrane integrity, permeability, mitochondria and cell wall. PL disturbed DNA replication, transport, energy and secondary metabolism. A regulation model of PL on A. carbonarius by transcriptomic analysis is proposed. Abstract: Pulsed light (PL) technology has a good effect on the control of fungi in postharvest fruit. In this present work, PL inhibited the growth of Aspergillus carbonarius in a dose-dependent manner, the mycelial growth decreased by 4.83 %, 13.91 % and 30.01 % at a fluence of 4.5 J·cm −2 (PL5), 9 J·cm −2 (PL10) and 13.5 J·cm 2 (PL15), respectively. When inoculated with PL15 treated A. carbonarius, the scab diameter of the pears, ergosterol and OTA content was reduced by 23.2 %, 27.9 % and 80.7 % after 7 days, respectively. The third-generation sequencing technique was applied to study the transcriptome response of A. carbonarius treated with PL. Compared with the blank control, a total number of 268 and 963 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered in the group of PL10 and PL15, respectively. To be specific, a large amount of DEGs involved in DNA metabolism were up-regulated, while most of DEGs related to cell integrity, energy and glucose metabolism, ochratoxin A (OTA) biosynthesis and transport were down-regulated. In addition, the stress response of A. carbonarius was imbalanced, including up-regulation of Catalase and PEX12 and down-regulation of taurine and subtaurine metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase and glutathione metabolism. Meanwhile, the results of transmission electron microscopy, mycelium cellular leakage and DNA electrophoresis indicated that PL15 treatment caused mitochondrial swelling, the destroyed cell membrane permeability and imbalance of DNA metabolism. The expression of P450 and Hal involved in OTA biosynthesis pathway were down-regulated in PL treated samples detected by qRT-PCR. In conclusion, this study reveals the molecular mechanism of pulsed light on inhibiting the growth, development and toxin production of A. carbonarius .