Reactive oxygen species regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in pears

Various abiotic stress induces anthocyanin biosynthesis in most fruit, including apple, grape, strawberry and pear. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), acting as common signal factor of abiotic stress, play an important role in anthocyanin biosynthesis. However, the specific function and underlying molecular mechanism of ROS in promoting anthocyanin accumulation in pear have not been characterized. In this research, fruits of a red pear cultivar ‘Hongzaosu’ (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai.) were treated with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that hydrogen peroxide could promote anthocyanin accumulation in pear peel. In addition, hydrogen peroxide inducer, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT) was applied to red pear fruits. As a result, 3-AT increased the anthocyanin content in pear peel and the expression of anthocyanin-related genes also went up. Therefore, we revealed that reactive oxygen species play an important role in anthocyanin biosynthesis in pear. Our findings may be useful for elucidating mechanism of abiotic stress induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in fruit and provide effective technical methods for improving fruit quality.