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Enrichment of tomato flavor by diversion of the early plastidial terpenoid pathway

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Abstract

We have modified the flavor and aroma of tomatoes by expressing the Ocimum basilicum geraniol synthase gene under the control of the tomato ripening–specific polygalacturonase promoter. A majority of untrained taste panelists preferred the transgenic fruits over controls. Monoterpene accumulation was at the expense of reduced lycopene accumulation. Similar approaches may be applicable for carotenoid-accumulating fruits and flowers of other species.

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Figure 1: Diversion of the plastidial terpenoid pathway in tomato fruit.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the Israeli Ministry of Science and by research grant no. IS-3332-02C from BARD (United States–Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund). Publication no. 128/2005 of the Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan Israel. We thank Donald Grierson (University of Nottingham) for kindly providing the polygalacturonase promoter construct. We thank Rivka Barg and Yoram Eyal for useful advice, Ayala Meir for carotenoids analysis, Inez Mureinik for editorial revision of the manuscript, and Avi Rikanati and Erez Unger for assistance in the statistical analyses.

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Author notes

  1. Yoko Iijima

    Present address: Present address: Department of Biotechnology Research, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, 2-5-23 Kazusa-Kamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vegetable Crops, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, PO Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel

    Rachel Davidovich-Rikanati, Yaakov Tadmor, Einat Bar, Bentsi Carmona, Nativ Dudai & Efraim Lewinsohn

  2. Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel

    Rachel Davidovich-Rikanati

  3. The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Yaron Sitrit

  4. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, 48109–1048, Michigan, USA

    Yoko Iijima & Eran Pichersky

  5. Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Department, The S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel

    Natalya Bilenko

  6. Department of Postharvest Science, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel

    Elazar Fallik

  7. Department of Plant Biology and Plant Pathology, New Use Agriculture & Natural Plant Products Program, Rutgers University, Foran Hall, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, 08901, New Jersey, U.S.A.

    James E Simon

Authors
  1. Rachel Davidovich-Rikanati
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  2. Yaron Sitrit
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  3. Yaakov Tadmor
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  4. Yoko Iijima
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  5. Natalya Bilenko
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  6. Einat Bar
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  7. Bentsi Carmona
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  8. Elazar Fallik
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  9. Nativ Dudai
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  10. James E Simon
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  11. Eran Pichersky
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  12. Efraim Lewinsohn
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yaron Sitrit or Efraim Lewinsohn.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Davidovich-Rikanati, R., Sitrit, Y., Tadmor, Y. et al. Enrichment of tomato flavor by diversion of the early plastidial terpenoid pathway. Nat Biotechnol 25, 899–901 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1312

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1312

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