Cucumber fruit skin reticulation affects post-harvest traits

Fruit skin reticulation is accompanied by the formation of a wound-periderm tissue made of suberized cells. The regulatory networks overseeing skin reticulation during fruit development were extensively studied, yet how reticulation affects post-harvest traits remains unknown. We addressed this notion using the common Cucumis sativus and the skin-cracked Sikkim (Cucumis sativus var. sikkimensis) cucumbers. Light and electron microscopy in consort with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that sativus fruit skin is made of the typical cutin polymer, while the skin of sikkimensis fruit comprised of the aromatic suberin polymer. Comparative post-harvest experiments with different storage temperatures revealed that sikkimensis fruit are more resilient to chilling injuries arise during cold storage, exhibiting lower rates of weight losses, ethylene and CO₂, electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation. We further demonstrate that different storage temperatures affect the contents of skin polymers cutin and suberin in a differential manner.