Mannosyl- and Xylosyl-Containing Glycans Promote Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Fruit Ripening

The oligosaccharide glycans mannosylα1-6(mannosylα1-3)mannosylα1-6(mannosylα1-3) mannosylβ1-4-N-acetylglucosamine and mannosylα1-6(mannosylα1-3)(xylosylβ1-2) mannosylβ1-4-N-acetylglucosaminyl(fucosylα1-3) N-acetylglucosamine were infiltrated into mature green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., cv Rutgers). Coinfiltration of 1 nanogram per gram fresh weight of the glycans with 40 micrograms per gram fresh weight galactose, a level of galactose insufficient to promote ripening, stimulated ripening as measured by red coloration and ethylene production.