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Sucrose functions as a signal involved in the regulation of strawberry fruit development and ripening
Author(s) -
Jia Haifeng,
Wang Yuanhua,
Sun Mingzhu,
Li Bingbing,
Han Yu,
Zhao Yanxia,
Li Xingliang,
Ding Ning,
Li Chen,
Ji Wenlong,
Jia Wensuo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.12176
Subject(s) - ripening , sucrose , climacteric , abscisic acid , biology , horticulture , botany , chemistry , biochemistry , gene , menopause , genetics
Summary Fleshy fruits are classically divided into climacteric and nonclimacteric types. It has long been thought that the ripening of climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits is regulated by ethylene and abscisic acid ( ABA ), respectively. Here, we report that sucrose functions as a signal in the ripening of strawberry ( F ragaria × ananassa ), a nonclimacteric fruit. Pharmacological experiments, as well as gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies, were performed to demonstrate the critical role of sucrose in the regulation of fruit ripening. Fruit growth and development were closely correlated with a change in sucrose content. Exogenous sucrose and its nonmetabolizable analog, turanose, induced ABA accumulation in fruit and accelerated dramatically fruit ripening. A set of sucrose transporters, F a SUT 1–7, was identified and characterized, among which F a SUT 1 was found to be a major component responsible for sucrose accumulation during fruit development. RNA interference‐induced silencing of F a SUT 1 led to a decrease in both sucrose and ABA content, and arrested fruit ripening. By contrast, overexpression of F a SUT 1 led to an increase in both sucrose and ABA content, and accelerated fruit ripening. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that sucrose is an important signal in the regulation of strawberry fruit ripening.