## 2 Results
### Functional Annotation and Categorization of DEGs  
The annotation, pathway, and functional categorization of the DEGs in the comparisons of DAF30 versus DAF60, 90, 120, 150, and 170 were thoroughly analyzed using the COG, GO, KEGG, KOG, Pfam, Swiss-Prot, eggNOG, and Nr databases. The assignments indicated that at least 97.79% of the DEGs were functionally annotated in multiple databases (Table 2). Analysis of GO categories showed that the functional distribution of DEGs in comparable groups was similar. The BP categories of GO terms were primarily grouped into cellular, metabolic, and single-organism processes. The CC category was mainly assigned to cells, cell parts, and membranes. Catalytic, binding, and transporter activities were prominent in the MF category (Figure S2). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, a pathway-based categorization of orthologous genes, was conducted to predict the functional profiles and biological significances of DEGs identified during the six different stages of _A. latifolia_ fruit development and ripening. Plant hormone signal transduction, carbon metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum were the most significantly enriched metabolic pathways (Figure S3). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l l l} \hline \hline
**Baseline Control** & **DAF60** & **DAF90** & **DAF120** & **DAF150** & **DAF170** \\ \hline DAF30 & 1871/1917 & 1628/1857 & 1931/2384 & 2373/2892 & 2632/3447 \\ DAF60 & & 1768/2147 & 1687/2288 & 2425/2911 & 2676/3441 \\ DAF90 & & & 410/813 & 866/1513 & 1491/2412 \\ DAF120 & & & & 434/689 & 1167/1866 & 643/1152 \\ DAF150 & & & & & 643/1152 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Note: The first column represents the baseline and the first line represents the treatment group. Red (first) and green (second) numbers represent significantly up- and down-regulated gene numbers, respectively. For example, ‘1871/1917’ in the second column and the second line means that a total of 1871 significantly up-regulated and 1917 down-regulated genes were identified in the comparison between DAF30_vs_DAF60 (the former was used as a baseline control, and the latter was the treatment group).  
\end{table} 
Table 1: Differentially expressed genes identified in the comparative Illumina transcriptome analysis. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l l l l l} \hline \hline
**DEG\_set a** & **Annotated b** & **COG c** & **GO d** & **KEGG e** & **KOG f** & **Pfam §** & **Swiss-Prot h** & **eggNOG i** & **N r j** \\ \hline DAF & 30\_vs\_60 & 3718 & 1736 & 2940 & 1455 & 2053 & 3306 & 2983 & 3664 & 3709 \\ DAF & 30\_vs\_90 & 3405 & 1542 & 2704 & 1234 & 1760 & 3045 & 2756 & 3326 & 3381 \\ DAF & 4232 & 1993 & 3435 & 1687 & 2207 & 3823 & 3474 & 4142 & 4209 \\
30\_vs\_150 & 5176 & 2477 & 4187 & 2093 & 2771 & 4663 & 4232 & 5093 & 5156 \\ DAF & 5991 & 2832 & 4841 & 2386 & 3305 & 5383 & 4807 & 5893 & 5964 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* DEG: differentially expressed gene. b Annotated: number of differentially expressed transcripts annotated. c COG: clusters of orthologous groups. d GO: gene ontology. e KEGG: Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes. f KOG: eukaryotic orthologous groups. g Pfam: protein family. b Swiss-Prot: a manually annotated and reviewed protein sequences database. i eggNOG: evolutionary genealogy of genes, non-supervised orthologous groups. j Nr: non-redundant protein sequence database.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Annotation summary of every DEG set among the six developmental stages of fruit development and ripening of _A. latifolia_. Identification of Genes in AsA Biosynthesis and Recycling Pathway during the Fruit Development and Ripening of A. latifolia  
By combining second- and third-generation sequencing technologies, crucial regulatory genes associated with AsA biosynthesis and recycling pathways were identified. All genes in the L-galactose pathway, some key genes in the other three pathways, and genes in the AsA recycling pathway were successfully identified during fruit development and ripening of _A.