Molecular Plant Breeding 2025, Vol.16, No.3, 191-201 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 195 Figure 2 Determinants of produce quality (Adopted from Shipman et al., 2021) Image caption: a Extrinsic environmental factors such as season, irrigation, soil nutrition and minerals, climate, stress, pathogens and pests, and agronomic practices as well as physiological genetic factors together determine fruit quality at harvest. Postharvest intervention, including refrigeration, chemical treatment, radiation, and modified atmospheres and pressure aims to maintain that quality through shipping and storage. Minor injury, ranging from mechanical or pathogenic damage to temperature, light, or pressure-induced damage, lowers the quality of fruit. More extensive injury renders produce inedible and contributes to the quantitative loss. b Potential postharvest outcomes for produce. Harvesting fruit prior to full ripeness will increase its shelf-life [a], but compromises quality during and after ripening [2a]. Fruit harvested at ripe [b] has a limited shelf-life before it declines in quality or rots [1b]. Postharvest intervention delays senescence and typically also results in some compromise of quality [2b]. The goal of gene editing is to extend shelf-life without loss of quality [3] and therefore reduce postharvest loss and waste (Adopted from Shipman et al., 2021) 5 Application Strategies of Gene Editing in Regulating Durian Pericarp Softening 5.1 Using CRISPR-Cas9 to control fruit softening CRISPR-Cas9 can help control fruit softening by editing genes that make enzymes which break down the cell wall. These enzymes include polygalacturonase (PG), cellulase (Cel), and beta-galactosidase (BGal). When these genes are knocked out, the enzyme levels drop, which helps keep the fruit firm and extends shelf life. This method has already been tested in other fruits. It shows that CRISPR-Cas9 can change how fruits ripen and soften by controlling these biological processes (Shipman et al., 2021; Gao et al., 2024). Reducing the activity of these enzymes helps keep the cell wall strong, which slows down softening (Gao et al., 2024).
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