Abstract
With the evolution of consumer purchasing power and consumption concepts, external attributes such as fruit size, color, and peel smoothness have emerged as pivotal determinants influencing purchasing preferences; among these, the background color of the fruit peel exerts a considerable impact on fruit esthetics. The background color of fruit peel is predominantly influenced by the chlorophyll content. Consequently, examining the degradation patterns of chlorophyll in Prunus persica L. peel holds significant importance for cultivating varieties with a cleaner peel background color. In this study, Prunus persica L. CP14 and 20-29 were selected as experimental materials to evaluate the peel color variation and chlorophyll content during fruit development. Samples collected from three developmental stages of CP14 and 20-29 underwent transcriptome sequencing. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis identified chlorophyll-degradation-related genes within the purine metabolism pathway. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of chlorophyll degradation gene expression pinpointed PpPAO and PpSGR as likely key genes involved in chlorophyll degradation in Prunus persica L. Transient transformation assays in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves further substantiated that PpPAO and PpSGR markedly reduce chlorophyll levels. Yeast two-hybrid experiments also demonstrated an interaction between PpPAO and PpSGR.