A transcriptomic study of ‘Granny Smith’ apple fruit response to x-ray irradiation using RNA-Seq

•Apple fruit's early transcriptome response to irradiation concentrates on DNA and cell repair.•Irradiation downregulates auxin and ethylene signaling pathways required for normal fruit development and ripening processes.•Salicylic acid and abscisic acid signaling pathways are upregulated in response to irradiation stress, possibly to enhance the fruit defense.•Apple fruit antioxidant responses remain active over prolonged period of storage.