Recent advances in Penicillium expansum infection mechanisms and current methods in controlling P. expansum in postharvest apples

Abstract

One of the most significant challenges associated with postharvest apple deterioration is the blue mold caused by Penicillium expansum, which leads to considerable economic losses to apple production industries. Apple fruits are susceptible to mold infection owing to their high nutrient and water content, and current physical control methods can delay but cannot completely inhibit P. expansum growth. Biological control methods present promising alternatives; however, they are not always cost effective and have application restrictions. P. expansum infection not only enhances disease pathogenicity, but also inhibits the expression of host-related defense genes. The implementation of new ways to investigate and control P. expansum are expected with the advent of omics technology. Advances in these techniques, together with molecular biology approaches such as targeted gene deletion and whole genome sequencing, will lead to a better understanding of the P. expansum infectious machinery. Here, we review the progress of research on the blue mold disease caused by P. expansum in apples, including physiological and molecular infection mechanisms, as well as various methods to control this common plant pathogen.

Keywords:

• Apples
• Penicillium expansum
• physiological mechanisms
• molecular mechanisms
• control methods
• future prospects

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32072276, 31772037, 31901743), State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology in Shandong Agricultural University (No. 2020KF08). Kaili Wang also thanks the scholarship (No. 201908320310) from the China Scholarship Council which supports her studies at The University of British Columbia.

Authors’ contributions

All the authors substantially contributed to the development of this manuscript. Hongyin Zhang and Siyun Wang: the conception and design of the work. Kaili Wang: writing and preparation of the original manuscript draft. Guillaume Legrand Ngolong Ngea, Esa Abiso Godana, Yu Shi, Boen Lanhuang, Xiaoyun Zhang, Lina Zhao, and Qiya Yang: writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest between all the authors.