ScienceTAP4 peptide linked to delayed aging in harvested pitaya fruit
Cell Press describes a Plant Communications study that found TAP4 activates immune responses specifically in pitaya’s endocarp, an inner layer of the fruit.
TLDR
Cell Press highlights research from the September issue of Plant Communications that used single-cell and spatial transcriptomics—methods for mapping gene activity—to study TAP4’s effects across fruit tissue and over time. The study reports that the small peptide activates immune responses specifically in pitaya’s endocarp, delaying aging after harvest. The findings suggest the endocarp could serve as a defensive tissue.
