Open AccessFruit‐specific suppression of the ethylene receptor LeETR4 results in early‐ripening tomato fruit
Author(s) -
Kevany Brian M.,
Taylor Mark G.,
Klee Harry J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2007.00319.x
Subject(s) - ripening , climacteric , ethylene , biology , carotenoid , flavour , horticulture , yield (engineering) , crop , trait , plant hormone , botany , agronomy , food science , biochemistry , gene , materials science , menopause , computer science , genetics , programming language , metallurgy , catalysis
Summary Tomato is an economically important crop and a significant dietary source of important phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and flavonoids. Although it has been known for many years that the plant hormone ethylene is essential for the ripening of climacteric fruits, its role in fruit growth and maturation is much less well understood. In this study, data are presented which indicate that fruit‐specific suppression of the ethylene receptor LeETR4 causes early ripening, whereas fruit size, yield and flavour‐related chemical composition are largely unchanged. Early fruit ripening is a highly desirable and valuable trait, and the approach demonstrated here should be applicable to any fruit species requiring ethylene to ripen. These results demonstrate that ethylene receptors probably act as biological clocks regulating the onset of tomato fruit ripening.