Induction of small heat-shock proteins in mesocarp of cherimoya fruit (Annona Cherimola Mill.) produces chilling tolerance

Abstract

Cherimoya is a major crop in the subtropical areas of the Spanish coast. The fruit are perishable because of their rapid climacteric ripening. Storage between 10 and 12C produces some extension of the shelf life of the fruit as a small delay in senescence is produced. A lower storage temperature produces chilling injury. The aim of this work is to find a way to make the fruit more resistant to low temperatures. In several plant species the synthesis of small molecular size heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) prevents and/or repairs stress induced damage; therefore, we investigated the induction of sHSPs in the mesocarp of cherimoya fruit. Heating the fruit at 55C during 5 h produces alleviation of the chilling-injury symptoms when the fruit are stored at 4C. The thermal stress induces proteins recognized by antibodies against sHSPs of different classes from other plant species. This induction is proportional to the temperature in the experimental range of 46-50C. © 2010, The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2010, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.