Polygalacturonase and Cellulase Enzymes in the Normal Rutgers and Mutant rin Tomato Fruits and Their Relationship to the Respiratory Climacteric

Cell wall enzymes at different stages of fruit development were compared between the normal Rutgers and the isogenic nonripening rin tomato. In Rutgers, a detectable increase in polygalacturonase (PG) activity was observed 6 days prior to the respiratory climacteric (43 days postanthesis). The maximum increase in PG activity occurred after C₂H₂ and CO₂ production reached their peak. However, in the rin tomato, no change in PG activity was noted up to 100 days postanthesis. Cellulase activity increased in Rutgers fruits prior to the respiratory climacteric and continued to increase thereafter. Similar changes in cellulase activity were also observed in the nonclimacteric rin fruits. Short term ethylene treatment (2 days) of 36-day-old rin fruits increased cellulase activity, but had no effect on PG activity. Detectable changes in other parameters of ripening, such as chlorophyll loss and softening, also occurred prior to the respiratory climacteric. These results suggest that the failure of rin fruits to ripen is related to their low PG activity during maturity as compared with normal fruits.     

Polygalacturonase mRNA of Tomato: Size and Content in Ripe Fruits

In ripe tomato fruits, polygalacturonase (PG) mRNA comprisedabout 1% of the translatable RNAs in the poly(A)(+)RNA fraction.Sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed that this PGmRNA is similar in size to 18S rRNA, which suggests the presenceof a non-coding region. (Received June 19, 1984; Accepted October 23, 1984)     

Cell-Free Synthesis of a Putative Precursor of Polygalacturonase in Tomato Fruits

By using a monospecific anti-polygalacturonase-2 antibody, a54K-dalton polypeptide was detected in in vitro translationproducts by a wheat germ cell-free translation system programmedwith polyadenylated RNA from ripe tomato pericarp tissue. Thisputative precursor of polygalacturonase was about 9K daltonslarger in molecular weight than polygalacturonase-2. (Received December 12, 1983; Accepted May 17, 1984)     

Stock-Scion Interactions of Normal and Fruit Ripening Mutants rin and nor in Tomato

Scions of the non-ripening rin and nor tomato strains (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) were grafted on normal understock plants (cv. Rutgers) in an effort to study the influence of roots and vegetative tissue on the ripening behavior of the tomato fruit. Receiprocal grafts of ‘Rutgers’ scions on rin and nor understocks as well as grafted and ungrafted controls were also established. No alteration in the ethylene, and CO₂ evolution and color development of either mutant fruits on normal understock or of normal fruits on mutant understock occurred. We suggest that the inability of rin and nor mutant fruits to ripen normally stems either from the presence in mutant fruit of a non-translocatable ripening inhibitor, or from the absence of a non-translocatable ripening factor.     

Effect of Sodium Chloride on Fruit Ripening of the Nonripening Tomato Mutants nor and rin

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) plants of the nonripening mutant nor, the ripening-inhibited mutant rin, and the normal cultivar `Rutgers' were grown in nutrient solution supplemented with 3 grams per liter NaCl from the time of anthesis. In plants treated with NaCl, all the ripening parameters of the fruits of the nor mutant increased, but those of the rin mutant did not. The ripening of the fruits of the NaCl-treated nor plants was characterized by the development of a red color and taste, increased pectolytic activity, and increased evolution of CO₂ and ethylene. These changes do not normally take place in nor under control conditions. The values of these ripening parameters in nor were lower than those of the normal Rutgers fruits. In addition, both in nor and rin and in the normal variety, exposure of the plants to NaCl shortened the developmental period of the fruit, decreased the fruit size, and increased the concentrations of total soluble solids, Na⁺, Cl⁻, reducing sugars, and titratable acids in the fruit. The role of NaCl in overcoming the inability of nor to ripen is discussed.     

Suppression of Ripening-Associated Gene Expression in Tomato Fruits Subjected to a High CO2 Concentration

High concentrations of CO2 block or delay the ripening of fruits. In this study we investigated the effects of high CO2 on ripening and on the expression of stress- and ripening-inducible genes in cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit. Mature-green tomato fruits were submitted to a high CO2 concentration (20%) for 3 d and then transferred to air. These conditions effectively inhibited ripening-associated color changes and ethylene production, and reduced the protein content. No clear-cut effect was observed on the expression of two proteolysis-related genes, encoding polyubiquitin and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, respectively. Exposure of fruit to high CO2 also resulted in the strong induction of two genes encoding stress-related proteins: a ripening-regulated heat-shock protein and glutamate decarboxylase. Induction of these two genes indicated that high CO2 had a stress effect, most likely through cytosolic acidification. In addition, high CO2 blocked the accumulation of mRNAs for genes involved in the main ripening-related changes: ethylene synthesis (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase), color (phytoene synthase), firmness (polygalacturonase), and sugar accumulation (acid invertase). The expression of ripening-specific genes was affected by CO2 regardless of whether their induction was ethylene- or development-dependent. It is proposed that the inhibition of tomato fruit ripening by high CO2 is due, in part, to the suppression of the expression of ripening-associated genes, which is probably related to the stress effect exerted by high CO2.     

Free Methionine Levels in rin and Normal Isogenic Tomato Fruits Ripened in the Field or in Storage

Free methionine levels in rin and normal tomato fruits were determined microbiologically. Similar levels (1750 μg/100 g fresh weight) for mature green fruits of both rin and a normal isogenic line suggest that the lack of ripening of rin fruits is not due to low methionine levels. Methionine levels of mature green rin and normal fruits were 1750 μg/ 100 g fresh weight. Normal fruits ripened either on or off the vine were 2860 and 2500 μg/100 g fresh weight, respectively. The rin fruits which were left on the plant or held in air at 20 C until soft and yellow were significantly lower in methionine than C₂H₄-treated rin fruits or any normal fruits. Harvested rin and normal fruits held at 20 C in continuously applied ethylene (10 μl/l) had higher methionine levels than comparable air controls; levels in treated rin fruits were significantly higher than those in normal fruits.     

人促红细胞生成素基因在番茄中的表达

通过子叶与农杆菌（ＡｇｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍｔｕｍｅｆａｃｉｅｎｓＡＧＬ１）共培养,将表达载体ｐＨＬＰＥ中的人促红细胞生成素（ｈＥＰＯ,一种人来源的典型糖蛋白）基因（ｅｐｏ）导入番茄,然后用卡那霉素进行筛选,获得了抗性植株。经点杂交和Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ印迹分析,证明部分抗性植株中整合了ｅｐｏ基因。通过对转基因番茄植株叶片的粗提蛋白进行ＥＰＯＥＬＩＳＡ检测,结果表明,ｈＥＰＯ在番茄中的表达量为约４００ｐｇ／ｇ叶片。经用转基因植株叶片粗提蛋白饲喂依赖于ＥＰＯ的ＴＦ１细胞,表明番茄ＥＰＯ具有体外（ｉｎｖｉｔｒｏ）生物活性,这暗示用植物生产的ＥＰＯ可作为体外药物加以应用。     

番茄 SlDP1 基因的克隆、生物信息学及表达特性分析简

DP基因属于DP/E2F转录因子家族,其编码的蛋白是E2F蛋白的二聚化分子伴侣,可能参与调控细胞周期、DNA复制、生长、分化、凋亡等多种细胞进程。根据SGN数据库登录的番茄序列,通过RT-PCR方法从野生型番茄中克隆了一个DP基因,命名为SlDP1。生物信息学预测,SlDP1蛋白定位于细胞核,具有保守的DNA结合域、二聚化区域和C-末端及多个磷酸化位点。蛋白质二级结构预测SlDP1蛋白含51.50%的环状结构,34.55%的α螺旋和2.66%的β折叠。荧光定量PCR分析外源激素对野生型番茄SlDP1基因表达量的影响,发现该基因受外源性乙烯前体ACC的诱导。对环境因子应答的RT-PCR结果表明,在伤害和盐处理的叶中该基因表达不受诱导,而盐处理的根中该基因表达量提高。SlDP1基因表达模式分析表明,该基因在根、花、萼片及成熟时期果实中表达量较高。这些结果为进一步研究SlDP1基因在番茄生长发育过程的功能奠定了基础。     

番茄脂氧合酶基因的表达和酶活性分析

将番茄脂氧合酶基因Tom loxD克隆至酵母表达载体pPIC9K中,转化毕赤酵母GS115菌株,构建组成型表达Tom loxD的酵母工程菌株。SDS-PAGE和W estern blot分析表明,经甲醇诱导,Tom loxD蛋白在酵母中得到表达,表达的融合蛋白分子量约为103.56 kD,与预测的分子量一致。酶活性分析表明,酵母中表达的Tom loxD蛋白具有脂氧合酶活性。半定量RT-PCR分析表明,Tom loxD基因在番茄中表达受机械损伤的诱导,损伤处理的番茄叶片中脂氧合酶的活性明显增高。说明Tom loxD基因在番茄防御信号中发挥作用。     

Transplantation Studies with Immature Fruit of Normal, and rin and nor Mutant Tomatoes

The aim of the work reported herein was to determine whether the lack of normal ripening in fruits of rin and nor tomato mutants is due to the presence of ripening inhibitors or to the lack of ripening factors in the fruit. A fruit tissue transplantation technique was developed for this purpose.     

Resistance of rin and nor tomato mutants to postharvest Rhizopus infection

Fruits of the two non-ripening mutants of tomato, rin and especially nor, were markedly more resistant to Rhizopus stolonifer infection than the normal Rutgers fruit. Following artificial inoculations by contact with a diseased normal tomato covered with mycelium and sporangia, no infection of unwounded nor fruit occurred at its mature-green stage. At the mature stage the resistance of nor mutant fruit was manifested by a prolongation of the incubation period of the disease as well as by a markedly reduced incidence of rotted fruits. Chilling injury of fruit, prior to spore inoculation, was found to be a good means for indicating the relative resistance of the mutants as compared with the normal tomato. The relationship between the resistance of the mutant tomatoes to Rhizopus infection and their response to induced peel damage as a result of the contact or the chilling procedure, led to the assumption that fruit resistance is associated with the inability of the fungus to penetrate the periderm, rather than with fungal development within the fruit.     

Polygalacturonase Activity in Ripening Tomato Fruit Determined using Pericarp Discs

Discs prepared from the outer pericarp of tomato (Lycopersiconesculentum Mill. cv. Sunny) and placed in buffer exhibit anenzymic release of pectin fragments. Over a 2.5 h period at34 °C, discs from mature-green, 4 d and 10 d postbreakerfruit released approximately 90, 440 and 675 µg galacturonicacid equivalents (g^–1 disc fr. wt.), respectively. Bio-GelP-2 chromatography of the products revealed the presence ofpolymeric, oligomeric and monomeric uronic acids. The similarityof these products to those released from isolated, enzymatically-activecell walls and from enzymatically-inactive walls treated withpurified PG 2 provides evidence for the participation of polygalacturonase(PG, E. C. 3.2.1.15 [EC] ) in the release of pectin from disc tissue. The magnitude of pectin release from external pericarp discswas found to parallel ripening and increase progressively indiscs from the blossom, equatorial and shoulder regions, respectively.The use of discs and other systems to estimate in vivo PG activitywill be discussed. Key words: Cell wall, polyuronides     

与番茄花柄脱落相关的多聚半乳糖醛酸酶的分离纯化和特性

为弄清番茄花柄脱落相关酶—哆聚半乳糖醛酸酶（polygalacturonase,PG）的性质,采用离体培养条件下经乙烯处理的番茄花柄,分离和纯化了多聚半乳糖醛酸酶并测定其性质。结果表明：用Sephadex G-75凝胶过滤层析和CM Sepharose CL-6B阳离子交换层析方法可分离纯化得到分子量约为30．2kDa的多聚半乳糖醛酸酶,纯化倍数为30．85;纯化的PG活性最适pH值为5．0,最适反应温度为40℃;Km值为26．14mg·mL^-1;1mmol·L^-1Ca^2＋、Cu^2＋、Ba^2＋、Co^2＋和Mn^2＋可抑制PG活性,而1mmol·L^-1的Mg^2＋、K^＋、Fe^2＋、Zn^2＋、Fe^2＋促进PG活性,20mmol·L^-1的Fe^2＋和Fe^3＋促进效果尤为显著。     

Yeast-Yeast Interactions in Guava and Tomato Fruits

apd: 23 February 2001     

轮状病毒外壳蛋白VP7在转基因番茄果实中的特异表达

将轮状病毒外壳蛋白VP7基因克隆到含有番茄果实特异性启动子TFP的植物表达载体pTF ,并转化到根癌农杆菌 (Agrobacteriumtumefaciens)菌株EHA10 5中 ,采用叶盘转化法转化番茄 (LycopersiconesculentumMill.)栽培品种TX0 0 14 ,获得了转基因植株。经PCR、PCR Southernblot和Southernblot分析表明VP7基因已整合到转基因番茄植株的核基因组中 ,RT PCR、Westernblot结果表明VP7蛋白在果实中获得了特异表达