Transcriptome analyses revealed chilling response genes in mango (<i>Mangifera indica</i> L. cv. Keitt) leaf

<i>Mangifera indica</i> L. cv. Keitt is a cold-stress fruit plant native to China's drought river valley. Chilling stress affects productivity. Understanding the mechanisms of chilling stress is important to increasing chilling resistance in mango. Leaves of Keitti were subjected to 4 °C for 0, 3, 6, and 9 h for RNA-Seq-based transcriptome analysis, respectively. The chlorophyll content, carotenoid content, catalase, and peroxidase activities significantly increased during 9 h. The leaves responded to the stress by enhancing photosynthetic pigment content and antioxidant enzyme activity. After 3 h of chilling, 410 genes were differentially expressed. <i>WRKY70</i> and <i>PLD1</i> were significantly up-regulated after 9 h. Compared to 9 and 0 h, there were 1123 DEG. The DEGs are enriched in hormonal signal transduction, secondary metabolites, and the abiotic stress response. Similarly, the transcriptional factor families including <i>NCED2</i>, <i>MYB73</i>, and <i>HLH162</i> up-regulated. The study will promote research on the development of chill-resistant mangoes.