Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals key genes potentially related to organic acid and sugar accumulation in loquat

Loquat fruits from cultivars 'JieFangZhong' (JFZ) and 'BaiLi' (BL) grown in the orchards of Changtai County, Putian city, Fujian Province, China, were used as the test materials in this study. Both cultivars are late maturing, and have similar flowering patterns. Thirty disease-free fruits of uniform size from each cultivar were collected at three developmental stages (65, 95, and 125 DAF). RNA-sequencing was performed to screen for key genes regulating sugar and organic acid metabolisms during the development of loquat fruit. Moreover, organic acid content, soluble sugar content, and enzyme activity were determined