Ripening Signaling Networks: Molecular and Physiological Regulators of Fruit Maturation

Fruit ripening is a tightly coordinated developmental program that determines nutritional quality, market value, and postharvest shelf life, yet the signaling networks that trigger and coordinate it remain incompletely understood. For decades, research has centered on ethylene as the dominant regulator of ripening in climacteric fruit. A growing body of evidence, including the hypothesis that the fruit cuticle itself generates the first signal to initiate ripening, ahead of ethylene synthesis, points to additional layers of control that challenge this established paradigm.This Research Topic takes that cuticle-signal hypothesis as its starting point and flagship example: is a cuticle-derived signal the true initiating trigger of fruit ripening, with ethylene acting downstream rather than as the primary switch. We invite contributions that test, extend, or challenge this and related hypotheses using modern omics tools, alongside broader studies of the molecular, physiological, and genetic signals that initiate and regulate ripening across model and non-model species.We welcome studies examining hormonal and non-hormonal signaling pathways, the role of the fruit cuticle and surface lipids in triggering ripening-associated processes, transcriptomic and epigenetic regulation of ripening-related genes, and comparative approaches across climacteric and non-climacteric fruit. Reflecting the breadth of the editorial team’s own work, we also encourage submissions on the cross-talk between abiotic and biotic stress responses and ripening signaling, and on the postharvest consequences of these pathways, including shelf-life extension, fruit quality, and strategies to reduce postharvest loss and waste.We particularly encourage submissions that challenge or extend established paradigms, integrate multi-omics approaches, or explore ripening signaling in underrepresented or economically important non-model crops. Studies with translational relevance to postharvest management, fruit quality improvement, or reducing food loss are also welcome, provided they are grounded in mechanistic insight.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:- The cuticle as a primary signal source for fruit ripening, and its relationship to ethylene biosynthesis- Ethylene and non-ethylene signaling pathways in fruit ripening- Cuticle- and lipid-derived signals in ripening initiation- Transcriptional, hormonal, and epigenetic regulation of ripening-associated gene networks- Cross-talk between abiotic and biotic stress responses and ripening signaling- Postharvest quality, shelf-life extension, and reduction of fruit loss and waste- Comparative and evolutionary perspectives across climacteric and non-climacteric species- Applications of multi-omics and systems approaches to ripening biologyBy bringing together researchers working across different signaling mechanisms, stress-resilience pathways, and postharvest science, this collection aims to build a more integrated picture of how ripening is triggered, regulated, and managed, opening new directions for both fundamental plant physiology and applied postharvest science. Topic editors: Martín-Ernesto Tiznado-Hernández, Avtar Krishan Handa Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85900/ripening-signaling-networks-molecular-and-physiological-regulators-of-fruit-maturation