Chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid biosynthetic pathways: Gene expression and pigment content in broccoli during yellowing

•Yellowing of broccoli involved plastid transformation and abnormal chloroplast development.•BoHO1 played a key role in maintaining broccoli as green, which has not been reported previously.•BoHO1, BoNYC1 and BoVDE affected cell morphology and pigment content.•BoHO1 and BoZEP interacted with different metabolic pathways that are intrinsically related. Broccoli undergoes yellowing in unfavorable conditions, thereby diminishing the sensory quality and commodity value. This study aimed to investigate systematically cellular and/or biomolecular changes involved in broccoli yellowing by analyzing changes in microstructural integrity, pigment content, and gene expression. On day-5 of storage at 20 °C, the buds turned yellow without blooming and showed structural damage; ultrastructural analysis revealed plastid transformation and abnormal chloroplast development. Genes regulating pigment content and chloroplast structure directly were identified. More specifically, BoCAO and BoNYC1 regulated chlorophyll turnover, affecting chlorophyll a and b contents. Changes in the β-cryptoxanthin content were influenced by the combined action of up- (BoHYD) and downstream (BoZEP) genes. BoZEP and BoVDE were activated after cold-temperature induction. High BoHO1 expression delayed yellowing at low temperature, inducing BoZEP expression. Color intensity correlated significantly with the chlorophyll b, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene contents, which were associated with increased yellowing of plant tissues.