Planta

, Volume 163, Issue 2, pp 263–271 | Cite as

The appearance of polygalacturonase mRNA in tomatoes: one of a series of changes in gene expression during development and ripening

  • D. Grierson
  • A. Slater
  • J. Speirs
  • G. A. Tucker
Article
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Tomato mRNA was extracted from individual fruits at different stages of development and ripening, translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate and the protein products analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that there are at least two classes of mRNA under separate developmental control. One group of approximately six mRNAs is present during fruit growth and then declines at the mature-green stage. Another group of between four and eight mRNAs increases substantially in amount at the onset of ripening, after the start of enhanced ethylene synthesis by the fruit, and continues to accumulate as ripening progresses. Studies of protein synthesis in vivo show that several new proteins are synthesised by ripening fruits including the fruit-softening enzyme polygalacturonase. One of the ripening-related mRNAs is shown to code for polygalacturonase, by immunoprecipitation with serum from rabbits immunised against the purified tomato enzyme. Polygalacturonase mRNA is not detectable in green fruit but accumulates during ripening. It is proposed that the ripening-related mRNAs are the products of a group of genes that code for enzymes important in the ripening process.

Key words

Fruit ripening Lycopersicon (fruit ripening) mRNA (tomato ripening) Polygalacturonase 

Abbreviation

SDS

sodium dodecyl sulfate

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Ali, Z.M., Brady, C.J. (1982) Purification and characterisation of polygalacturonases of tomato fruits. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 9, 171–178Google Scholar
  2. Bonner, W.M., Laskey, R.A. (1974) A film-detection method for 3H-labelled proteins and nucleic acids in polyacrylamide gels. Eur. J. Biochem. 46, 83–88PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Brady, C.J., O'Connell, P.B.H. (1976) On the significance of increased protein synthesis in ripening banana fruits. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 3, 301–310Google Scholar
  4. Christoffersen, R.E., Warm, E., Laties, G.G. (1982) Gene expression during fruit ripening in avocado. Planta 155, 52–57Google Scholar
  5. Crookes, P.R., Grierson, D. (1983) Ultrastructure of tomato fruit ripening and the role of polygalacturonase isoenzymes in cell wall degradation. Plant Physiol. 72, 1088–1093Google Scholar
  6. Davies, J.N., Hobson, G.E. (1981) The constituents of tomato fruit — the influence of environment, nutrition and genotype. CRC Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutrit. 15, 11205–11280Google Scholar
  7. De Swardt, G.H., Swanepoel, J.H., Duvenage, A.J. (1973) Relation between changes in ribosomal RNA and total protein synthesis and the respiration climacteric in pericarp tissues of tomato. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 70, 358–363Google Scholar
  8. Foster, J.P., Crighton, D.B. (1974) Luteinizing hormone (LH) release after single injection of a synthetic LH-releasing hormone (LH-RH) in the ewe at three different reproductive stages and comparison with natural release at oestrus. Theriogenology 2, 87–100PubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Frenkel, C., Klein, I., Dilley, D.R. (1968) Protein synthesis in relation to ripening of pome fruits. Plant Physiol. 43, 1146–1153Google Scholar
  10. Grierson, D., Covey, S.N. (1976) The properties and function of rapidly-labelled nuclear RNA. Planta 130, 317–321Google Scholar
  11. Grierson, D., Tucker, G.A. (1983) Timing of ethylene and polygalacturonase synthesis in relation to the control of tomato fruit ripening. Planta 157, 174–179Google Scholar
  12. Grierson, D., Tucker, G.A., Robertson, N.G. (1981) The regulation of gene expression during the ripening of tomato fruits In: Quality in stored and processed vegetables and fruit, pp. 179–191, Goodenough, P.W., Atkin, R.K., eds. Academic Press, London New YorkGoogle Scholar
  13. Morch, M.-D., Benicourt, C. (1980) Post-translational proteolytic cleavage of an in vitro-synthesised turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA-coded high-molecular-weight proteins. J. Virol. 34, 85–94Google Scholar
  14. Moshrefi, M., Luh, B.S. (1983) Carbohydrate composition and electrophoretic properties of tomato polygalacturonase isoenzymes. Eur. J. Biochem. 135, 511–514PubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Rattanapanone, N., Grierson, D., Stein, M. (1977) Ribonucleic acid metabolism during the development and ripening of tomato fruits. Phytochemistry 16, 629–633Google Scholar
  16. Rattanapanone, N., Speirs, J., Grierson, D. (1978) Evidence for changes in messenger RNA content related to tomato fruit ripening. Phytochemistry 17, 1485–1486Google Scholar
  17. Speirs, J., Brady, C.J., Grierson, D., Lee, E. (1984) Changes in ribosome organisation and messenger RNA abundance in ripening tomato fruits. Aust. J. Plant Phys. 11, 225–233Google Scholar
  18. Tucker, G.A., Grierson, D. (1982) Synthesis of polygalacturonase during tomato fruit ripening. Planta 155, 64–67Google Scholar
  19. Tucker, G.A., Robertson, N.G., Grierson, D. (1980) Changes in polygalacturonase isoenzymes during the ‘ripening’ of normal and mutant tomato fruit. Eur. J. Biochem. 112, 119–124PubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. Tucker, G.A., Robertson, N.G., Grierson, D. (1981) The conversion of tomato fruit polygalacturonase isoenzyme 2 into isoenzyme 1 in-vitro. Eur. J. Biochem. 115, 87–90Google Scholar
  21. Themmen, A.P.N., Tucker, G.A., Grierson, D. (1982) Degradation of isolated tomato cell walls by purified polygalacturonase in vitro. Plant Physiol. 69, 122–124Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1985

Authors and Affiliations

  • D. Grierson
    • 1
  • A. Slater
    • 1
  • J. Speirs
    • 1
  • G. A. Tucker
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Physiology and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nottingham, School of AgricultureLoughboroughUK

Personalised recommendations