Short-term anaerobic, pure oxygen and refrigerated storage conditions affect the energy status and selective gene expression in litchi fruit

•Fruit senescence was related to the energy status and the gene transcript abundance.•Short-term N2 and O2 extended storage life with the former a better effect.•LcAtpB acted as a marker of senescence.

Harvested litchi fruit were stored under cold temperature, short-term anaerobic and pure oxygen conditions to explore the energy characteristics and the genes that are related to pericarp browning. Fruits in short-term anaerobic and pure oxygen environments were stored at 25 °C. Additionally, fruits were stored at 1 °C for 1, 2 or 3 weeks and were then subjected to a post cold storage at 25 °C for up to 48 h. Short-term anaerobic and pure oxygen storage decreased the browning index and relative abundance of the ATP synthase β subunit (LcAtpB) and increased respiration intensity, ATP content, the contribution of an alternate oxidation pathway to the total respiration (ρVAP/Vt) and the transcription of plant uncoupling mitochondria protein 1 (LcUCP1), with short-term anaerobic treatment being more significant than pure oxygen. Cold storage decreased the ATP levels but increased the browning index, respiration intensity, ρVAP/Vt and the transcription of alternative oxidase 1 (LcAOX1), LcUCP1, ADP/ATP carrier 1 (LcAAC1) and sucrose non-fermenting-1-related kinase 2 (LcSnRK2) during the post storage shelf-life at 25 °C. The data suggest that the energy level is closely related to the respiratory activity and is involved in the browning control of harvested litchi fruit. Transcripts of the 5 genes were found to be involved in the energy regulation and quality control of postharvest litchi fruit.