Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE
(ISSN 1009-3095, Monthly)
2005 Vol. 6B No. 6 p.502-507
Characteristics of fruit ripening in tomato mutant epi
WANG Zhong-feng1,2, YING Tie-jin†1, BAO Bi-li1, HUANG Xiao-dan1
(1School of Biosystem Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China)
(2Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Institute of Technology, Liuzhou 545006, China)
†E-mail: tjying@hzcnc.com
Received Jun. 25, 2004; revision accepted Nov. 19, 2004
Abstract: The characteristics of fruit ripening and expression of ripening-related genes were investigated in epi, an ethylene overproduction mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The epi produces apparently more ethylene than its wild type VFN8 at every stage of vegetative and fruit growth and ripening; compared to VFN8, the epi fruit showed higher CO2 evolution, faster descending of chlorophyll, slightly quicker increase of carotenoid and lycopene, and faster reduction in pericarp firmness during maturation and ripening; and the mRNAs of three ripening-related genes including E8, pTOM5 and pTOM6 were at higher levels in epi. The ripening-related characteristics changing of the fruit are consistent with the increase of ethylene production and ripening-related genes expression. These results suggest that epi mutation possibly did not affect the ethylene perception and signaling during fruit ripening, and that the modified characteristics of fruit ripening possibly resulted from the ethylene overproduction and increased expression of ripening-related genes.
Key words: Epinastic (epi) mutant, Ethylene overproduction, Ethylene signaling, Fruit ripening
doi:10.1631/jzus.2005.B0502 CLC number: Q945