Tomato FRUITFULL homologs regulate fruit ripening via ethylene biosynthesis

作者：Shima Yoko; Fujisawa Masaki; Kitagawa Mamiko; Nakano Toshitsugu; Kimbara Junji; Nakamura Nobutaka; Shiina Takeo; Sugiyama Junichi; Nakamura Toshihide; Kasumi Takafumi; Ito Yasuhiro^*

来源：Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry, 2014, 78(2): 231-237.

DOI：10.1080/09168451.2014.878221

• ripening inhibitor (RIN)
• MADS-domain protein
• FRUITFULL (FUL)
• ethylene

Certain MADS-box transcription factors play central roles in regulating fruit ripening. RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN), a tomato MADS-domain protein, acts as a global regulator of ripening, affecting the climacteric rise of ethylene, pigmentation changes, and fruit softening. Previously, we showed that two MADS-domain proteins, the FRUITFULL homologs FUL1 and FUL2, form complexes with RIN. Here, we characterized the FUL1/FUL2 loss-of-function phenotype in co-suppressed plants. The transgenic plants produced ripening-defective fruits accumulating little or no lycopene. Unlike a previous study on FUL1/FUL2 suppressed tomatoes, our transgenic fruits showed very low levels of ethylene production, and this was associated with suppression of the genes for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase, a rate-limiting enzyme in ethylene synthesis. FUL1/FUL2 suppression also caused the fruit to soften in a manner independent of ripening, possibly due to reduced cuticle thickness in the peel of the suppressed tomatoes.

• 出版日期2014-2