An integrated `omics´ approach to improve and maintain quality of apples

Consumption of fresh fruit is increasing as consumers become more aware of the importance of food quality in relation to human health and its role in disease prevention. In addition to their nutritional benefits, fruit are recognized for their delicious flavour which is important for enjoyment of food. The quality of fresh fruit is comprised of multiple aspects including texture, appearance, color, flavour and nutrition. Among the quality indices, flavour and texture have been recognized as the most significant characteristics, which play an important role in determining eating quality of apples, especially for currently popular cultivars such as “Honeycrisp” and “Ambrosia”. However, the fundamental metabolism responsible for these desirable attributes in apples is not fully understood. In order to reveal fundamental metabolism responsible for firmness and flavor attributes, an integrated “omics” approach has been applied using the resources and expertise to identify genetic markers that can be exploited through marker-assisted breeding and genome editing with identification some of the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to important traits in apple, such as firmness and soft scald disorder as well as disease resistance. In parallel, proteomics and metabolomics based on LC/MS technique have also been applied to investigate and answer the many biological questions in association with control of fruit quality. The progress made to date in identifying these markers and regulators will be provided. The details of our future collaborative work that lays the foundation for the accelerated improvement of quality of apples will be outlined.