Alteration of fruit quality caused by environmental stress is a common but largely unresolved issue for plant cultivation and breeding practices. Phosphorus (P) deficiency may interfere with a variety of metabolic processes whose intermediate products are correlated with important fruit quality traits. However, how low P stress affects fruit quality has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we assessed the contents of major metabolites associated with tomato fruit quality under two low P treatments that started at the seedling or flowering stage. The major pigments and the key organic acids related to fruit sourness were differentially over-accumulated as fruit ripened under two low P treatments compared to those under the control treatment, while the total content of soluble sugars contributing to fruit sweetness was substantially reduced under both treatments. These changes were largely attributed to the alteration of enzyme activities in the relevant metabolic pathways. In particular, we found that low P stress from different developmental stages had differential effects on the activation of γ-aminobutyric acid shunt that were likely responsible for the preferential accumulation of different organic acids in tomato fruits. Our study suggested that low P stress strongly affected tomato fruit quality and the effects appeared to be variable under different regimes of low P conditions.

由环境胁迫引起的果实品质改变是植物栽培和育种实践中的普遍但基本上未解决的问题。磷缺乏可能会干扰各种代谢过程，这些代谢过程的中间产物与重要的水果品质性状相关。然而，尚未详细研究低磷胁迫如何影响果实品质。在这项研究中，我们评估了从苗期或开花期开始的两种低磷处理下与番茄果实品质相关的主要代谢物的含量。与对照处理相比，在两种低磷处理下成熟的果实与主要的色素和与水果酸度有关的关键有机酸有不同的过量积累，两种处理均显着降低了有助于水果甜度的​​可溶性糖总含量。这些变化主要归因于相关代谢途径中酶活性的改变。特别是，我们发现来自不同发育阶段的低磷胁迫对γ-氨基丁酸分流器的活化具有不同的影响，这可能是番茄果实中不同有机酸优先积累的原因。我们的研究表明，低磷胁迫强烈影响番茄的果实品质，并且在不同的低磷条件下，其影响似乎是可变的。我们发现来自不同发育阶段的低磷胁迫对γ-氨基丁酸分流器的活化具有不同的影响，这可能是番茄果实中不同有机酸优先积累的原因。我们的研究表明，低磷胁迫强烈影响番茄的果实品质，而且在不同的低磷条件下，其影响似乎是可变的。我们发现来自不同发育阶段的低磷胁迫对γ-氨基丁酸分流器的活化具有不同的影响，这可能是番茄果实中不同有机酸优先积累的原因。我们的研究表明，低磷胁迫强烈影响番茄的果实品质，并且在不同的低磷条件下，其影响似乎是可变的。