Abstract In this study, the metabolites and regulatory genes that influence the flavor quality of taste tomatoes were systematically analysed by integrating widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses of four taste tomato varieties and four ordinary tomato varieties. Widely targeted metabolomic analysis revealed 2,906 non-volatile metabolites, 31 of which were specific to taste tomatoes. Among these genes, 725 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, while transcriptomic analysis revealed 3,944 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which included 987 upregulated and 2,957 downregulated genes in taste tomatoes compared with those in ordinary tomatoes. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the DAMs were significantly enriched in pathways associated with starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and other pathways closely linked to flavor. Furthermore, the DEGs were significantly enriched in critical pathways, including starch and sucrose metabolism; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; and carotenoid biosynthesis. A combined analysis revealed a strong correlation between the expression of DAMs and their corresponding genes, particularly highlighting coordinated changes among trehalose, sucrose, sucrose-6-phosphate, and their associated genes. Taste tomatoes enhance fruit flavor quality by synergistically regulating multiple key genes in pathways related to sucrose-starch metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism. This study identifies the core differentially abundant metabolites and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of taste tomato quality traits, thus providing a theoretical foundation for quality improvement and market promotion.
Zhang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.