Recent Advances in Pathogenicity and Biocontrol of Postharvest Penicillium Diseases

TL;DR

This paper reviews how Penicillium fungi cause postharvest fruit and vegetable diseases and explores new methods to control them.

Contribution

The paper highlights novel biocontrol strategies like CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference for managing Penicillium pathogens.

Findings

CRISPR-Cas9 enables precise analysis of Penicillium pathogenicity genes and resistance mechanisms.

RNA interference strategies like HIGS and SIGS provide non-transgenic disease control options.

AI improves species identification and fermentation regulation for efficient research.

Abstract

Penicillium species are major postharvest pathogens of fruits and vegetables, causing significant economic losses and posing serious threats to food safety through mycotoxin contamination. This review systematically summarizes the pathogenic mechanisms, metabolic diversity, and eco-friendly strategies of postharvest Penicillium pathogens. The application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has enabled precise functional analysis of pathogenicity-related genes (e.g., PacC, PeStuA) and regulatory elements involved in fungicide resistance (e.g., FlbC). RNA interference-based strategies, including host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) and spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), offer promising non-transgenic approaches for disease control. Additionally, artificial intelligence-assisted species identification and fermentation regulation have improved research efficiency. Future integration of multidisciplinary technologies will facilitate sustainable management of postharvest diseases.

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