Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Reveal the Critical Genes of Carotenoid Biosynthesis and Color Formation of Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) Fruit Ripening

Carotenoids in goji (Lycium barbarum L.) have excellent health benefits, but the underlying mechanism of carotenoid synthesis and color formation fruit ripening is still unclear. The present study uses transcriptomics metabolomics to investigate biosynthesis differences N1 (red fruit) N1Y (yellow at three stages ripening. Twenty-seven carotenoids were identified fruits during M1, M2, M3 periods, with M2 periods being critical for difference between fruit. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), trend analysis, correlation suggest that PSY1 ZDS16 may be important players Meanwhile, 63 transcription factors (TFs) related biosynthesis. Among them, four TFs (CMB1-1, WRKY22-1, WRKY22-3, RAP2-13-like) potential regulatory relationships ZDS16. This work sheds light on molecular explains accumulation different colored fruits.