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ROLE OF CALCIUM AND CHELATING AGENTS IN REGULATING THE DEGRADATION OF TOMATO FRUIT TISSUE BY POLYGALACTURONASE
Author(s) -
BUESCHER R. W.,
HOBSON G. E.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of food biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-4514
pISSN - 0145-8884
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4514.1982.tb00682.x
Subject(s) - pectinase , ripening , calcium , chelation , ripeness , chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , biochemistry , food science , botany , horticulture , biology , enzyme , telecommunications , organic chemistry , computer science
The effects of calcium ions and the chelating agents EDTA and citrate on the ability of partially‐purified polygalacturonase (PG) from ripe tomato fruit to degrade polygalacturonate, preparations of isolated middle lamellae and cell walls (ML‐CW), and outer pericarp tissue from tomatoes were examined. The inhibition of degradation by calcium ions was counteracted by the presence of EDTA or citrate, and these chelating agents also reduced the resistance to attack by PG on ML‐CW and tomato pericarp tissue. Degradation by PG of ML‐CW and pericarp tissue from all ripeness stages was stimulated by chelating agents. Susceptibility of fruit tissue containing the non‐ripening (nor) gene to degradation by PG was similar to that shown by normal mature green fruit tissue. With increasing maturity of the mutant fruit, resistance to degradation declined, but not as rapidly as with normally ripening fruit. It appears that calcium associated with the ML‐CW and its removal regulate the rate and extent of degradation by PG during normal tomato fruit ripening.