KOREASCHOLAR

This study explored the changes in senescence patterns and vase life of cut roses grown in summer and autumn, aiming to identify the relationship between harvest seasons and flower longevity. We analyzed gene expression profiles associated with lignin, pectin, ethylene, auxin, and sucrose transport to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying senescence symptoms, such as the bent neck, petal abscission, and petal wilting in cut rose flowers. Our results revealed season-dependent occurrences of bent neck and petal abscission, with higher incidence rates in autumn-harvested rose flowers. These increases in bent neck and petal abscission contributed to a shortened vase life for the cut flowers. Gene expression analysis indicated that elevated levels of ethylene biosynthesis genes and reduced expression of lignin, pectin biosynthesis, auxin response factor, and sucrose transport genes accelerated the increased senescence symptoms. Notably, the incidence rates of the bent neck were highly negatively correlated with the transcript levels of key genes involved in lignin and pectin biosynthesis, RhPRXPX and RhGAUT1, in pedicels. These findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular factors influencing the mechanical strength of flower pedicels and provide insights for postharvest strategies to enhance the ornamental value of cut flowers across seasons.

Introduction
Materials and Methods
    Plant materials and exportation simulation
    Postharvest characteristics and vase life evaluation
    RNA isolation
    cDNA synthesis
    Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR)
    Experimental design and data analyses
Results
    Characteristics of senescence and longevity ofcut roses
    Gene expression patterns in pedicels
    Gene expression patterns in petals
    Relationships between gene expression andsenescence symptoms of cut roses
Discussion
Acknowledgment
References

• Suong Tuyet Thi Ha(Department of Smart Horticultural Science, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Korea)
• Bongsu Choi(Biological Resources Utilization Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 22689, Korea)
• Byung-Chun In(Department of Smart Horticultural Science, Andong National University, Andong 36729, Korea) Corresponding author