Abstract

Protein acetylation and deacetylation are critical post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate diverse biological processes in eukaryotes. Although histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) have been characterized in several plant species, a systematic analysis of HATs in banana (Musa acuminata) has been lacking. In this study, we identified 36 HAT genes (MaHATs) from the banana A genome and classified them into four families based on phylogenetic relationships and conserved domain architecture: 29 HAG, two HAM, four HAC, and one HAF members. Chromosomal distribution and synteny analyses revealed that genome duplication events have contributed to the expansion of the MaHAT family. Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses across different fruit ripening stages indicated that several MaHATs exhibit ripening-associated expression patterns. Among them, MaHAG28 was highly expressed in fruit and showed dynamic regulation at both transcript and protein levels during ripening. Functional analyses using transient overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing in banana fruit slices demonstrated that MaHAG28 accelerates starch degradation and promotes fruit ripening. Collectively, this study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the HAT gene family in banana and identifies MaHAG28 as a positive regulator of fruit ripening, thereby advancing our understanding of acetylation-mediated regulatory mechanisms in banana fruit development.