Líneas de Investigación
Fisiología de maduración de frutos: regulación hormonal, ablandamiento y producción de compuestos que proporcionan aroma. Durante la maduración los frutos experimentan una serie de cambios que favorecen el desarrollo de características de calidad, como el color (síntesis de antocianinas), ablandamiento de la pulpa (des-ensamblaje de la estructura de la pared vegetal), y producción de compuestos volátiles que proporcionan aroma (esteres). En frutos climatéricos, como la papaya chilena, gran parte de estos cambios son estimulados y controlados por la hormona etileno.
En el caso de frutos no-climatéricos, como la frutilla chilena (F. chiloensis), se desconoce que hormonas inducen o regulan la maduración. Estamos trabajando con modelos de fruta nativa, tanto climatéricos como no-climatéricos , y averiguando cual es el efecto de diversas hormonas sobre la regulación transcripcional de genes involucrados en el desarrollo de aspectos de calidad. Estamos también evaluando el rol de algunos factores de transcripción que estarían actuando como “master” reguladores de la maduración de la fruta.
Molinett, SA; Alfaro, JF; Saez, FA; Elgueta, S; Moya-Leon, MA; Figueroa, CR., 2021. Postharvest Treatment of Hydrogen Sulfide Delays the Softening of Chilean Strawberry Fruit by Downregulating the Expression of Key Genes Involved in Pectin Catabolism. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences. doi: 10.3390/ijms221810008
Carrasco-Orellana, C., Stappung, Y., Mendez-Yañez, A., Allan, A.C, Espley, R.V., Plunkett, B.J., Moya-Leon, M.A., Herrera, R. 2018. Characterization of a ripening-related transcription factor FcNAC1 from Fragaria chiloensis fruit. Scientific Report. 10.1038/s41598-018-28226-y
Parra-Palma, C., Fuentes, E., Palomo, I., Torres, C., Moya-León, M.A., Ramos, P. 2018. Linking the platelet antiaggregation effect of different strawberries species with antioxidants: Metabolomic and transcript profiling of polyphenols. Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas 17 (1): 36 – 52
Morales-Quintana, L., Faundez, C., Herrera, R., Zavaleta, V., Ravanal, M.C., Eyzaguirre, J., Moya-Leon, M.A. (2017) Biochemical and structural characterization of Penicillium purpurogenum alpha-D galactosidase: Binding of galactose to an alternative pocket may explain enzyme inhibition. Carbohydrate Research 448, 57-66
Méndez-Yañez, Á., Beltrán, D., Campano-Romero, C., Molinett, S., Herrera, R., Moya-León, M.A., Morales-Quintana, L., 2017. Glycosylation is important for FcXTH1 activity as judged by its structural and biochemical characterization. Plant Physiol. Biochem. 119: 200–210.
Opazo, M.C., Lizana, R., Stappung, Y., Davis, T.M., Herrera, R., Moya-León, M.A. 2017. XTHs from Fragaria vesca: Genomic structure and transcriptomic analysis in ripening fruit and other tissues. BMC Genomics 18. doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4255-8
Espinoza, A., Contreras, R., Zuniga, G., Herrera, R., Moya-Leon, M.A., Norambuena, L., Handford. M. 2016. FcLDP1, a Gene Encoding a Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) Domain Protein, Responds to Brassinosteroids and Abscisic Acid during the Development of Fruits in Fragaria chiloensis. Frontiers in Plant Science.
Ramos P, Guajardo J, Moya-León MA, Herrera R. 2016. A differential distribution of auxin and flavonols in radiata pine stem seedlings exposed to inclination. Tree Genetics and Genomes 12:42.
Gaete-Eastman C, Morales-Quintana L, Herrera R, Moya-León MA (2015) In-silico analysis of the structure and binding site features of an α-expansin protein from mountain papaya fruit (VpEXPA2), through molecular modeling, docking and dynamics simulation studies. Journal of Molecular Modelling.
Hernandez O, Torres CA, Moya-León MA, Opazo MC, Razmilic I (2014) Roles of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, pigments and phenolics in postharvest ‘sunscald’ development on ‘Granny Smith’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). Postharvest Biology and Technology 79 : 79-87) (DOI: 10.1016/j.postharvbio.2013.08.003)
Nardi CF, Villarreal NM, Opazo MC, Martinez GA, Moya-León MA, Civello PM (2014) Expression of FaXTH1 and FaXTH2 genes in strawberry fruit. Cloning of promoter regions and effect of plant growth regulators. Scientia Horticulturae 165: 111-122.
Ramos P, Herrera R, Moya-León MA (2014) Anthocyanins: Food sources and benefits to consumer´s health. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Leah M. Warner, Editor.
Salvatierra A, Pimentel P, Moya-León MA, Herrera R (2014) Biosynthesis of flavonoids in achenes of Fragaria chiloensis ssp. chiloensis. Boletin Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas (Blacpma) 13 (4): 406-414.
Valenzuela C, Ramos P, Carrasco C, Moya-León MA, Herrera R (2014) Cloning and characterization of a xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase/hydrolase gene expressed in response to inclination in radiata pine seedlings. Tree Genetics & Genomes 10: 1305-1315. (doi 10.1007/s11295-014-0762-9)
Galaz S, Morales-Quintana L, Moya-León MA, Herrera R (2013) Structural analysis of the alcohol acyltransferase protein family from Cucumis melo shows that enzyme activity depends on an essential solvent channel. FEBS Journal 280: 1344-1357. (doi:10.1111/febs.12127)
González G, Fuentes L, Moya-León MA, Sandoval C, Herrera R (2013) Characterization of two PR genes from Fragaria chiloensis in response to Botrytis cinerea infection: A comparison with Fragaria x ananassa. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 82: 73-80. (doi:10.1016/j.pmpp.2013.02.001)
Morales-Quintana L, Nuñez-Tobar MX, Moya-Leon MA, Herrera R (2013) Molecular dynamics simulation and site-directed mutagenesis of alcohol acyltransferase: A proposed mechanism of catalysis. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling 82: 2689-2700. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ci400409s)
Salvatierra A, Pimentel P, Moya-Leon MA, Herrera R (2013) Increased accumulation of anthocyanins in Fragaria chiloensis fruits by transient suppression of FcMYB1 gene. Phytochemistry 90: 25-36. (doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.02.016)
2021 Fondecyt Regular. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF ABA AND TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS ON SOFTENING OF CHILEAN STRAWBERRY FRUIT
2010-2013 Colaborador Proyecto Fondecyt 1100013. Biochemical and molecular responses of apple peel to photo-oxidative damage in the presence of elevated temperature (sun-damage=sunburn) during fruit development under acclimated and non-acclimated conditions. Investigador responsable: Dra. Carolina Torres.
2011-2014 Investigador responsable Proyecto Fondecyt 1110792. Hormonal regulation during ripening in the Chilean strawberry fruit: a deeper view insight the molecular events.
2012 Proyecto Innova 11IDL1-10617. “Desarrollo de variedades de frutilla comercial mejoradas en aroma mediante la utilización de germoplasma de frutillas silvestres”. Carlos Figueroa, U. Conce y Alejandra Moya, UTalca.
2012-2015 Investigador responsable Proyecto Anillo (ACT 1110) “Advanced center for the integrative study of fruit ripening: Molecular and physiological basis of complex quality traits of the Chilean strawberry fruit (ACIS)”, En colaboración con Dr. Raúl Herrera, Dra. Lorena Norambuena (UChile), FDr. Mike Handford (UChile), Dr. Carlos Figueroa (UConce) y Dr. Freddy Mora.
2012 Proyecto MEC 80112010. “Revealing the molecular events in the synthesis of aroma during fruit ripening”. Research stay of Dr. Randolph Beaudry in Chile during 4 months. A. Moya – Contraparte Universidad de Talca.
2013 Red en biotecnología agrícola: vinculación académica UTALCA-Michigan State University. Relaciones Internacionales Conicyt. REDES120029. A. Moya, Colaborador.