Abstract
Shelf life determines the economic life time of mature apples, which can be either freshly harvested or stored. Good shelf life is highly associated with a slow decrease of fruit firmness at room temperature. Apple is a climacteric fruit, in which loss of firmness seems to be physiologically related to ethylene. Ethylene’s biosynthetic pathway is controlled by two large gene families coding for 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxydase (ACO).
In this study, one ACS and one ACO gene were examined for their effect on ethylene production and shelf life in apple using gene specific molecular marker, and have also been positioned on a molecular marker linkage map. The ACO marker was developed in this research and mapped on linkage group (LG) 10 of the crosses Prima × Fiesta and Fuji × Mondial Gala, within the 5% border of a previously identified fruit firmness QTL [Theor Appl Genet 100 (2000) 1074]. We denoted this locus as Md-ACO1. In addition, we mapped the previously developed Md-ACS1 marker [Theor Appl Genet 101 (2000) 742] on LG15.
Studies on the cross Fuji × Braeburn revealed that Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1 independently affect the internal ethylene concentration (IEC) as well as shelf life of apple, Md-ACS1 having the strongest effect. Descendants homozygous for Md-ACS1-2 and Md-ACO1-1 showed to have the lowest ethylene production as well as superior shelf-life. These two genes are candidates to be included in marker assisted breeding.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, L. & D. Grierson, 2002 Ethylene biosynthesis and action in tomato: A model for climacteric fruit ripening. J Exp Bot 53: 2039–2055.
Atkinson, R.G., K.M. Bolitho, M.A. Wright, T. Iturriagagoitia-Bueno, S.J. Reid & G.S. Ross, 1998 Apple ACC-oxidase and polygalacturonase: Ripening-specific gene expression and promoter analysis in transgenic tomato. Plant Mol Biol 38(3): 449–460.
Barry, C.S., M.I. Llop-Topus & D. Grierson, 2000 The regulation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase gene expression during the transition from system – 1 to system – 2 ethylene synthesis in tomato. Plant Physiol 123: 979–986.
Bleecker, A.B. & H. Kende, 2000 Ethylene: A gaseous signal molecule in plants. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 16: 1–18.
Dong, J.G., W.T. Kim, W.K. Yip, G.A. Thompson, L. Li, A.B. Bennett & S.F. Yang, 1991 Cloning of a cDNA encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase and expression of its mRNA in ripening apple fruit. Planta 185: 38–45.
Doyle, J.J. & J.L. Doyle, 1989 Isolation of plant DNA from fresh tissue. Focus 12: 13–15.
Gianfranceschi, L., & V. Soglio in press. The European project HiDRAS: Innovative multidisciplinary approaches to breed high-quality disease resistant Apples. Acta Hortic.
Giovannoni, J. 2001 Molecular biology of fruit maturation and ripening. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 52: 725–749.
Harada, T., T. Sunako, Y. Wakasa, J. Soejima, T. Satoh & M. Niizeki, 2000 An allele of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase gene (Md-ACS1) accounts for the low level of ethylene production in climacteric fruits of some apple cultivars. Theor Appl Genet 101: 742–746.
Hrazdina, G., E. Kiss, Z. Galli, C. RosenField, J.L. Norelli & H.S. Aldwincle, 2003 Down regulation of ethylene production in Royal Gala apples. Acta Hortic 628: 239–251.
Kende, H. 1993 Ethylene biosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 44: 283–307.
King, G.J., C. Maliepaard, J.R. Lynn, F.H. Alston, C.E. Durel, K.M. Evans, B. Griffon, F. Laurens, A.G. Manganaris, E. Schrevens, S. Tartarini & J. Verhaegh, 2000 Quantitative genetic analysis and comparison of physical and sensory descriptors relating to fruit flesh firmness in apple (Malus pumila Mill.). Theor Appl Genet 100: 1074–1084.
Le Hir, H., A. Nott & M.J. Melissa, 2003 How introns influence and enhance eukaryotic gene expression. Trends Biochem Sci 28: 215–220.
Liebhard, R., B. Koller, L. Gianfranceschi & C. Gessler, 2003 Creating a saturated reference map for the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) genome. Theor Appl Genet 106: 1497–1508.
Maliepaard, C., F.H. Alston, G. Van Arkel, L.M. Brown, E. Chevreau, F. Dunemann, K.M. Evans, S. Gardiner, P. Guilford, A.W. Van Heusden, J. Janse, F. Laurens, J.R. Lynn, A.G. Manganaris, A.P.M. den Nijs, N. Periam, E. Rikkerink, P. Roche, C. Ryder, S. Sansavini, H. Schmidt, S. Tartarini, J.J. Verhaegh, M. Vrielink-van Ginkel & G.J. King, 1998 Aligning male and female linkage maps of apple (Malus pumila Mill.) using multi-allelic markers. Theor Appl Genet 97: 60–73.
Maliepaard, C., M.J. Silanpää, J.W. Van Ooijen, R.C. Jansen & E. Arjas, 2001 Bayesian versus frequentitst analysis of multiple quantitative trait loci with an application to an outbred apple cross. Theor Appl Genet 103: 1243–1253.
McMurchie, E.J., W.B. McGlasson & I.L. Eaks, 1972 Treatment of fruit with propylene gives information about the biogenesis of ethylene. Nature 237: 235–236.
Nakatsuka, A., S. Murtachi, H. Okunishi, S. Shiomi, R. Nakano, Y. Kubo & A. Inaba, 1998 Differential expression and internal feedback regulation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase, and ethylene receptor genes in tomato fruit during development and ripening. Plant Physiol 118: 1295–1305.
Nott, A., S.H. Meislim & M.J. Moore, 2003 A quantitative analysis of intron effects on mammalian gene expression. RNA 9: 607–617.
Oetiker, J.H. & S.F. Yang, 1995 The role of ethylene in fruit ripening. Acta Hortic 398: 167–178.
Picton, S., J.E. Gray & D. Grierson, 1995 Ethylene genes and fruit ripening. Plant Hormones, pp. 372–394. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Rose, J.K.C., H.H. Lee & A.B. Bennett, 1997 Expression of a divergent expansin gene is fruit specific and ripening regulated. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 5955–5960.
Rosenfield, C., E. Kiss & G. Hrazdina, 1996 MdACS-2 (Accession No. U73815) and MdACS-3 (Accession No. U73816): Two new 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase in ripening apple fruit (PGR96-122). Plant Physiol 112: 1735.
Sunako, T., W. Sakuraba, M. Senda, S. Akada, R. Ishikawa, M. Niizeki & T. Harada, 1999 An allele of the ripening-specific 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS1) in apple fruit with a long storage life. Plant Physiol 119: 1297–1303.
Sunako, T., R. Ishikawa, M. Senda, S. Akada, M. Niizeki & T. Harada, 2000 MdACS-5A (Accession No. AB034992) and 5B (Accession No. AB034993), two wound-responsive genes encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase in apple. (PGR00-030). Plant Physiol 122: 620.
Van Ooijen, J.W. & R.E. Voorrips, 2001 JoinMap® Version 3.0, Software for the Calculation of Genetic Linkage Maps. Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Voorrips, R.E. 2001 MapChart Version 2.0: Windows Software for the Graphical Presentation of Linkage Maps and QTLs. Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Yang, S.F. & E. Hoffman, 1984 Ethylene biosynthesis and its regulation in higher plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35: 155–189.
Yang, S.F. 1985 Biosynthesis and action of ethylene. HortScience 20: 41–45.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Costa, F., Stella, S., Van de Weg, W.E. et al. Role of the genes Md-ACO1 and Md-ACS1 in ethylene production and shelf life of apple (Malus domestica Borkh). Euphytica 141, 181–190 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-005-6805-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-005-6805-4