{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T06:24:02Z","timestamp":1787207042219,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Plant Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Spatial metabolic heterogeneity associated with fruit color and tissue type remains insufficiently characterized in postharvest apricot fruit. In this study, MALDI-MSI-based spatial metabolomics was used to characterize color- and tissue-associated ion-response heterogeneity in postharvest \u2018Yanzhihong\u2019 apricot fruit.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>RMS-normalized ion responses were analyzed using spatial shrunken-centroid segmentation, principal component analysis (PCA), exploratory orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), fold-change analysis, and sample-level Pearson correlation assessment.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Clear overall differentiation was observed between the red- and yellow-colored sides, indicating color-associated spatial metabolic heterogeneity within the fruit. Exploratory differential-feature screening and subsequent spatial analyses highlighted candidate ion features related to monolignol\/phenylpropanoid metabolism, phenolic acids, flavonols, sugar phosphates, nucleotide sugars, and membrane lipids. Candidate ion features tentatively assigned to caffeyl alcohol, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and dihydroferulic acid, together with most selected membrane-lipid-related candidate features, showed stronger relative responses on the yellow-colored side. In contrast, candidate ion features tentatively assigned to myricetin-3-O-(4\u2033-acetyl)rhamnoside and UDP-GalNAcA showed stronger relative responses on the red-colored side. Among the selected monolignol\/phenylpropanoid-, phenolic-acid-, and flavonol-related candidate ion features, the 4-hydroxycinnamic-acid-related ion was the only feature that showed the same regional ordering on both fruit sides, with lower mean responses in the flesh than in the peel and near-stone regions. Other regional mean differences were feature dependent and were not statistically validated at the current sample size.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings characterize candidate color- and tissue-associated ion-response features under the sampled postharvest condition. Given the single cultivar, three paired biological replicates, and one postharvest sampling point, the findings remain exploratory and do not establish postharvest-quality markers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2026.1906148","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T05:29:05Z","timestamp":1787203745000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Spatial metabolomic mapping reveals peel-color- and tissue-region-associated metabolic heterogeneity in postharvest \u2018Yanzhihong\u2019 apricot fruit"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xueying","family":"Shi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wenbao","family":"Jia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haidong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aoqi","family":"Cui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanhong","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University","place":["Hohhot, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1927","DOI":"10.1002\/mas.21794","article-title":"What are we imaging? Software tools and experimental strategies for annotation and identification of small molecules in mass spectrometry imaging","volume":"42","author":"Baquer","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mass Spectrom. Rev."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1883","DOI":"10.1038\/s41592-023-02070-z","article-title":"Cardinal v.3: a versatile open-source software for mass spectrometry imaging analysis","volume":"20","author":"Bemis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nat. Methods"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1761","DOI":"10.1074\/mcp.O115.053918","article-title":"Probabilistic segmentation of mass spectrometry (MS) images helps select important ions and characterize confidence in the resulting segments","volume":"15","author":"Bemis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Mol. Cell. Proteomics"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4751","DOI":"10.1021\/ac970888i","article-title":"Molecular imaging of biological samples: localization of peptides and proteins using MALDI-TOF MS","volume":"69","author":"Caprioli","year":"1997","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2023.1210309","article-title":"Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of flavonoid biosynthesis in apricot fruits","volume":"14","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1007\/s44307-024-00014-y","article-title":"Applications of mass spectrometry imaging in botanical research","volume":"2","author":"Chen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv. Bio\/Technol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1007\/s00216-011-4929-z","article-title":"Normalization in MALDI-TOF imaging datasets of proteins: practical considerations","volume":"401","author":"Deininger","year":"2011","journal-title":"Anal. Bioanal. Chem."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1257","DOI":"10.1093\/plcell\/koad325","article-title":"The plant cell wall\u2014dynamic, strong, and adaptable\u2014is a natural shapeshifter","volume":"36","author":"Delmer","year":"2024","journal-title":"Plant Cell"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2016.00060","article-title":"Sample preparation for mass spectrometry imaging of plant tissues: a review","volume":"7","author":"Dong","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-arplant-083123-075017","article-title":"Nucleotide sugar transporters: orchestrating luminal glycosylation in plants","volume":"76","author":"Ebert","year":"2025","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Plant Biol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2222","DOI":"10.1021\/jasms.3c00178","article-title":"Metabolite annotation confidence score (MACS): a novel MSI identification scoring tool","volume":"34","author":"Eisenberg","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Am. Soc Mass Spectrom."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2782","DOI":"10.1021\/jf0115894","article-title":"Identification and quantification of flavonol glycosides in almond seedcoats using MALDI-TOF MS","volume":"50","author":"Frison-Norrie","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Agric. Food. Chem."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfca.2025.107581","article-title":"Using MALDI-TOF q-MSI for detailed comparison of varietal and tissue regional differences in strawberries","volume":"143","author":"Fujiki","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Food Compos. Anal."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2023.1187551","article-title":"Transcriptome and metabolome analysis of flavonol synthesis in apricot fruits","volume":"14","author":"Han","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plantsci.2018.08.014","article-title":"Visualization of soluble carbohydrate distribution in apple fruit flesh utilizing MALDI-TOF MS imaging","volume":"278","author":"Horikawa","year":"2019","journal-title":"Plant Sci."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1654","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erad423","article-title":"Imaging plant metabolism in situ","volume":"75","author":"Horn","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10919","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.analchem.5c02020","article-title":"Quality control standards for batch effect evaluation and correction in mass spectrometry imaging","volume":"97","author":"Huang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2023.113415","article-title":"The metabolism of membrane lipid participates in the occurrence of chilling injury in cold-stored banana fruit","volume":"173","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/advs.202520438","article-title":"Integration of spatiotemporal multi-omics in peach fruit unravels a metabolic niche and the genetic basis of trichome-mediated stress adaptation","volume":"13","author":"Liu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Adv. Sci."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/foods12203795","article-title":"Visualizing the distribution of jujube metabolites at different maturity stages using matrix-assisted laser desorption\/ionization mass spectrometry imaging","volume":"12","author":"Lu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Foods"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1002\/pca.2759","article-title":"Recent advances in matrix-assisted laser desorption\/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) for in situ analysis of endogenous molecules in plants","volume":"29","author":"Qin","year":"2018","journal-title":"Phytochem. Anal."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.postharvbio.2023.112681","article-title":"Methyl jasmonate suppressed the pericarp browning in postharvest longan fruit by modulating membrane lipid and energy metabolisms","volume":"209","author":"Shuai","year":"2024","journal-title":"Postharvest Biol. Technol."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1002\/fft2.189","article-title":"Membrane lipid metabolism is involved in regulating \u03b3-aminobutyric acid-mediated cold tolerance in peach fruit","volume":"4","author":"Song","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Front."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fntpr.2023.1160541","article-title":"In situ spatiotemporal mapping of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) inhibitor in pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit tissue by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging","volume":"2","author":"Suarez","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Nat. Prod."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/foods12122297","article-title":"Metabolome, plant hormone, and transcriptome analyses reveal the mechanism of spatial accumulation pattern of anthocyanins in peach flesh","volume":"12","author":"Sun","year":"2023","journal-title":"Foods"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1214\/ss\/1056397488","article-title":"Class prediction by nearest shrunken centroids, with applications to DNA microarrays","volume":"18","author":"Tibshirani","year":"2003","journal-title":"Stat. Sci."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4553","DOI":"10.1039\/D4AN00644E","article-title":"Mass spectrometry imaging in plants, microbes, and food: a review","volume":"149","author":"Vats","year":"2024","journal-title":"Analyst"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1093\/mp\/ssp106","article-title":"Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis","volume":"3","author":"Vogt","year":"2010","journal-title":"Mol. Plant"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"888","DOI":"10.1039\/D2AN01739C","article-title":"Systematic study of tissue section thickness for MALDI MS profiling and imaging","volume":"148","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Analyst"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.1104\/pp.126.2.485","article-title":"Flavonoid biosynthesis. A colorful model for genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, and biotechnology","volume":"126","author":"Winkel-Shirley","year":"2001","journal-title":"Plant Physiol."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2168","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.16924","article-title":"Advances in mass spectrometry imaging for plant metabolomics\u2014expanding the analytical toolbox","volume":"119","author":"Yin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Plant J."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cofs.2022.100836","article-title":"Insights into metabolomics in quality attributes of postharvest fruit","volume":"45","author":"Yun","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Food Sci."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12701","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.analchem.3c01345","article-title":"Expanded coverage of phytocompounds by mass spectrometry imaging using on-tissue chemical derivatization by 4-APEBA","volume":"95","author":"Zemaitis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Anal. Chem."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2021.723128","article-title":"Biosynthesis and transport of nucleotide sugars for plant hemicellulose","volume":"12","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.talanta.2021.122687","article-title":"Visualizing the spatial distribution of endogenous molecules in wolfberry fruit at different development stages by matrix-assisted laser desorption\/ionization mass spectrometry imaging","volume":"234","author":"Zhao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Talanta"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2025.1636734","article-title":"Spatial metabolic heterogeneity of sugar\u2013acid balance and pigment accumulation in distinct color regions of Yanzhihong apricot (Prunus Armeniaca L.) revealed by MALDI-IMS","volume":"16","author":"Zhao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1520","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.20325","article-title":"Major facilitator family transporters specifically enhance caffeyl alcohol uptake during C-lignin biosynthesis","volume":"246","author":"Zhuo","year":"2025","journal-title":"New Phytol."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Plant Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpls.2026.1906148\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T05:29:06Z","timestamp":1787203746000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpls.2026.1906148\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"references-count":37,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpls.2026.1906148"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpls.2026.1906148","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-462X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-462X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]]},"article-number":"1906148"}}