Fruits and vegetables are susceptible to various physiological and infectious diseases during postharvest storage and transportation. These diseases can greatly shorten the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that the AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene response factor) transcription factor superfamily plays an important role in the response of fruits and vegetables to various postharvest diseases. It can participate in regulating the growth and development of fruits and vegetables, and can also respond to various biotic and abiotic stresses. In order to clarify the regulatory role of AP2/ERF transcription factors in postharvest physiological and invasive diseases of fruits and vegetables, we herein summarize AP2/ERF transcription factors and their distribution and quantity in fruits and vegetables. Besides, we review their role and mechanisms in the response of fruits and vegetables to postharvest physiological and invasive diseases, and introduces recent progress in research on AP2/ERF transcription factors in fruits and vegetables such as banana, cucumber and pepper in response to postharvest diseases. This review is expected to provide more information for studying AP2/ERF transcription factors in other fruits and vegetables and for enhancing the resistance of postharvest fruits and vegetables to diseases through AP2/ERF transcription factors.

This study was attempted to explore the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum CKXP13 and L. plantarum CWXP24 to produce phenyllactic acid (PLA), and the inhibitory effect and mechanism of action of PLA on citrus green mold. The phenyllactic acid-producing ability of L. plantarum was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The antifungal mechanism of action was explored by studying the spore survival rate, colony diameter, mycelial morphology, and extracellular electrical conductivity of P. digitatum after being treated with PLA. The results showed that both strains could produce PLA at yields of 42.4 and 91.9 mg/L, respectively. As the PLA concentration increased from 2.5 to 5.0 and 10.0 mg/mL, the spore viability and colony diameter of P. digitatum decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the hyphal surface appeared rough with dents or dendritic bulges on it and the hyphae were entangled. At the same time, PLA enhanced the permeability of the cell membrane of P. digitatum, promoted the leakage of cell contents, and caused the death of P. digitatum. PLA at concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/mL could effectively control citrus green mold. In conclusion, PLA has great potential for development and application as a natural fungicide in controlling postharvest green mold of citrus fruit.

Sequencing technologies make it possible to explore uncultured microorganisms since they can be used to obtain the species composition information of research objects and further study the information at the functional gene level. The commonly used sequencing methods include amplicon sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. Postharvest fruits and vegetables harbor a large number of microorganisms. But most current studies on microorganisms on agricultural products focus only on a few pathogens or a single antagonist, so that little is known about the diversity and composition of microbial communities on agricultural products and the factors that influence their structures. Therefore, this review summarizes recent studies evaluating the microbial community structure on agricultural products by sequencing, describes the definition of microbiome and related terms and the major sequencing methods, and discusses recent progress in the application of microbiom sequencing technologies in postharvest fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, it discusses the factors limiting the application of microbiom technology in the field of postharvest fruits and vegetables and puts forward some possible future research directions. Hopefully, this review will provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the microbiome of fruits and vegetables after harvest.