Manipulating oxygen-dependent ethylene signalling in fruit to reduce food loss

减少粮食损失和浪费对于确保粮食安全和实现联合国可持续发展目标12.3和sainsbury超市公司的可持续发展目标至关重要。可控气氛（CA）被广泛用于延缓成熟和衰老。它包括在储存期间降低新鲜农产品周围大气中的氧气浓度和增加二氧化碳水平（法拉甘和特里，2018）。然而，气体环境的突然变化被认为是一种非生物应激，对质量产生负面影响。渐变可控气氛（GCA）于2020年被发现，并已被证明可以延长多种新鲜农产品的储存寿命，如蓝莓、葡萄番茄和樱桃。GCA是逐渐降低存储大气中的氧含量，而不是立即应用最终的CA条件。与对照相比，GCA已被证明通过减少疾病发病率，使蓝莓的储存寿命延长25%。经过28天的冷藏后，GCA蓝莓也比ca储存的水果结实27% （Falagan等，2020）。与标准CA相比，GCA对储存寿命的改善作用背后的机制尚不清楚，但假设GCA影响氧依赖性乙烯信号，即使在非更年期水果中也是如此。这项工作的目的是从两个角度来理解GCA与标准CA相比的工作机制：i) GCA对乙烯敏感性的影响（通过低O2和高CO2毕业）；ii)自然抗病性（通过高二氧化碳）。这项工作将有助于了解低氧环境与动态变化的气体环境中乙烯生物合成和脱落酸（ABA）途径之间的关系。它还将通过显微镜和PCR定量研究真菌疾病（灰霉病）的进展。

Reducing food loss and waste is essential to ensure food security and in achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and Sainsburys Supermarkets Plc sustainability targets. Controlled atmosphere (CA) is broadly used to delay ripening and senescence. It consists of reducing oxygen concentrations and increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere surrounding fresh produce during storage (Falagan and Terry 2018). However, the sudden change in the gas environment is perceived as an abiotic stress, negatively affecting quality. Graduated Controlled Atmosphere (GCA) was discovered in 2020 and has been shown to extend the storage life of multiple fresh produce types viz. blueberries, vine tomatoes and cherries. GCA gradually reduces oxygen levels in the storage atmosphere rather than instantaneously applying the final CA conditions. GCA has been shown to increase the storage life of blueberries by 25% compared to control by reducing disease incidence when. GCA blueberries were also 27% firmer than CA-stored fruit after 28 days of cold storage (Falagan et al., 2020). The mechanisms behind the improved effect of GCA vs. standard CA on storage life are not known, but it is hypothesized that GCA influences oxygen-dependent ethylene signalling, even in non-climacteric fruit. The aim of the work is to understand the mechanisms by which GCA works compared to standard CA from two perspectives: i) GCA effect on ethylene sensitivity (via low O2 and high CO2 graduation); and ii) natural disease resistance (via high CO2). This work will develop understanding on the relationship between low oxygen environments and the ethylene biosynthesis and abscisic acid (ABA) pathways in a dynamically changing gaseous environment. It will also study the progression of fungal disease (Botrytis cinerea) through microscopy and quantified by PCR.