Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mechanism of Fruit Ripening

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Plant Developmental Biology - Biotechnological Perspectives

Abstract

The making of a fruit is a developmental process unique to plants. It requires a complex network of interacting genes and signaling pathways. In fleshy fruit, it involves three distinct stages, namely, fruit set, fruit development, and fruit ripening. Of these, ripening has received most attention from geneticists and breeders, as this important process activates a whole set of biochemical pathways that make the fruit attractive, desirable, and edible for consumers. In recent years, the scientific goal has been to reveal the mechanisms by which nutritional and sensory qualities are developed during fruit development and ripening using advanced genomics and post-genomics tools. These genome-wide technologies have been combined to physiological approaches to decipher the networks of interactions between the different pathways leading to the buildup of fruit quality traits. From a scientific point of view, fruit ripening is seen as a process in which the biochemistry and physiology of the organ are developmentally altered to influence appearance, texture, flavor, and aroma (Giovanonni 2001, 2004). For the consumers and distributors, the process of ripening corresponds to those modifications that allow fruit to become edible and attractive for consumption. Since the majority of the quality attributes are elaborated during the ripening process, it has always been considered essential to better understand the mechanisms underlying this ultimate fruit developmental stage.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams-Phillips L, Barry C, Kannan P, Leclercq J, Bouzayen M, Giovannoni J (2004) Evidence that CTR1-mediated ethylene signal transduction in tomato is encoded by a multigene family whose members display distinct regulatory features. Plant Mol Biol 54:387–404

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aharoni A, O'Connell AP (2002) Microarray gene expression analysis during strawberry achenes and receptacle maturation. J Exp Bot 53:2073–2087

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aharoni A, Keizer LCP, Bouwmeester HJ, Sun Z, Alvarez-Huerta M, Verhoeven HA, Blass J, van Houwelingen AMML, de Vos RCH, Van der Voet H, Jansen RC, Guis M, Mol J, Davis RW, Schena M, van Tunen AJ, O'Connell A (2000) Identification of the SAAT gene involved in strawberry flavor biogenesis by use of DNA microarrays. Plant Cell 12:647–661

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alba R, Fei Z, Payton P, Liu Y, Moore SL, Debbie P, Cohn J, D'Ascenzo M, Gordon JF, Rose JKC, Martin G, Tanksley SD, Bouzayen M, Jahn MM, Giovannoni J (2004) ESTs, cDNA microarrays, and gene expression profiling: tools for dissecting plant physiology and development. Plant J 39:697–714

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alba R, Payton P, Fei Z, McQuinn R, Debbie P, Martin GB, Tanksley SD, Giovannoni JJ (2005) Transcriptome and selected metabolite analyses reveal multiple points of ethylene control during tomato fruit development. Plant Cell 17:2954–2965

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander L, Grierson D (2002) Ethylene biosynthesis and action in tomato: a model for climacteric fruit ripening. J Exp Bot 53:2039–2055

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aubert C, Bourger N (2004) Investigation of volatiles in Charentais cantaloupe melons (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis). Characterization of aroma constituents in some cultivars. J Agric Food Chem 52:4522–4528

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ayub R, Guis M, Ben Amor M, Gillot L, Roustan JP, Latché A, Bouzayen M, Pech JC (1996) Expression of ACC oxidase antisense gene inhibits ripening of cantaloupe melon fruits. Nature Biotechnol 14:862–866

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry CS, Giovannoni JJ (2006) Ripening inhibition in the tomato Green-ripe mutant results from ectopic expression of a novel protein which disrupts ethylene signal transduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:7923–7928

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry CS, Blume B, Bouzayen M, Cooper W, Hamilton AJ, Grierson D (1996) Differential expression of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase gene family of tomato. Plant J 9:525–535

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barry CS, Llop-Tous MI, Grierson D (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

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beekwilder J, Alvarez-Huerta M, Neef E, Verstappen FW, Bouwmeester HJ, Aharoni A (2004) Functional characterization of enzymes forming volatile esters from strawberry and banana. Plant Physiol 135:1865–1878

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blankenship SM, Dole JM (2003) 1-methylcyclopropene: a review. Postharvest Biol Technol 28:1–25

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blankenship SM, Richardson DR (1985) Development of ethylene biosynthesis and ethylene-induced ripening in D'Anjou pears during the cold requirement for ripening. J Am Soc Hort Sci 107:807–812

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleecker AB, Kende H (2000) Ethylene: a gaseous signal molecule in plants. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 16:1–18

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bleecker AB, Estelle MA, Somerville C, Kende H (1988) Insensitivity to ethylene conferred by a dominant mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Science 241:1086–1089

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bower J, Holford P, Latché A, Pech JC (2002) Culture conditions and detachment of the fruit influence the effect of ethylene on the climacteric respiration of melon. Postharvest Biol Technol 26:135–146

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bramley PM (2002) Regulation of carotenoid formation during tomato fruit ripening and development. J Exp Bot 53:2107–2113

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brummell DA, Hall BD, Bennett AB (1999a) Antisense suppression of tomato endo-1,4-β-glucanase Cel2 mRNA accumulation increases the force required to break fruit abscission zones but does not affect fruit softening. Plant Mol Biol 40:615–622

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brummell DA, Harpster MH, Civello PM, Palys JM, Bennett AB, Dunsmuir P (1999b) Modification of expansin protein abundance in tomato fruit alters softening and cell wall polymer metabolism during ripening. Plant Cell 11:2203–2216

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Causse M, Sabina-Colombani V, Lecomte L, Duffé P, Rouselle P, Buret M (2002) QTL analysis of fruit quality in fresh market tomato: a few chromosome regions control the variation of sensory and instrumental traits. J Exp Bot 53:2089–2098

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chang C, Kwok SF, Bleecker AB, Meyerowtz EM (1993) Arabidopsis ethylene-response gene ETR: similarity of product to two component regulators. Science 262:539–545

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham FX, Gantt E (1998) Genes and enzymes of carotenoids biosynthesis in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 49:557–583

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dandekar AM, Teo G, Defilippi BG, Uratsu SL, Passey AJ, Kader AA, Stow JR, Colgan RJ, James DJ (2004) Effect of down-regulation of ethylene biosynthesis on fruit flavor complex in apple fruit. Transgenic Res 13:373–384

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D'Auria JC, Chen F, Pichersky E (2002) Characterization of an acyltransferase capable of synthesizing benzylbenzoate and other volatile esters in flowers and damaged leaves of Clarkia breweri. Plant Physiol 130:466–476

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dudareva N, Pichersky E, Gershenzon J (2004) Biochemistry of plant volatiles. Plant Physiol 135:1893–1902

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Kereamy A, Chervin C, Roustan JP, Cheynier V, Souquet JM, Moutounet M, Raynal J, Ford CM, Latché A, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (2003) Exogenous ethylene stimulates the long-term expression of genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berries. Physiol Plant 119:175–182

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Sharkawy I, Jones B, Gentzbittel L, Lelièvre JM, Pech JC, Latché A (2004) Differential regulation of ACC synthase genes in cold-dependent and -independent ripening in pear fruit. Plant Cell Environ 27:1197–1210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • El-Sharkawy I, Manríquez D, Flores FB, Regad F, Bouzayen M, Latché A, Pech JC (2005) Functional characterization of a melon alcohol acyl-transferase gene family involved in the biosynthesis of ester volatiles. Identification of the crucial role of a threonine residue for enzyme activity. Plant Mol Biol 59:343–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Fei Z, Tang X, Alba RM, White JA, Ronning CM, Martin GB, Tanksley SD, Giovannoni JJ (2004) Comprehensive EST analysis of tomato and comparative genomics of fruit ripening. Plant J 40:47–59

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Flores F, Ben Amor M, Jones B, Pech JC, Bouzayen M, Latché A, Romojaro F (2001) The use of ethylene-suppressed lines to assess differential sensitivity to ethylene of the various ripening pathways in Cantaloupe melons. Physiol Plant 113:128–133

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frary A, Nesbitt TC, Frary A, Grandillo E, van der Knaap E, Cong B, Liu J, Meller J, Elber R, Alpert KB (2000) fw2.2: a quantitative trait locus key to the evolution of tomato fruit size. Science 289:85–88

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fray R, Grierson D (1993) Identification and genetic analysis of normal and mutant phytoene synthase genes of tomato by sequencing, complementation and co-suppression. Plant Mol Biol 22:589–602

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fridman E, Pleban T, Zamir D (2000) A recombination hotspot delimits a wild species QTL for tomato sugar content to 484-bp within an invertase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:4718–4723

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fridman E, Carrari F, Liu YS, Fernie AR, Zamir D (2004) Zooming in on a quantitative trait for tomato yield using interspecific introgressions. Science 305:1786–1789

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fulton TM, Bucheli P, Voirol E, López J, Pétiard V, Tanksley SD (2002) Quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting sugars, organic acids and other biochemical properties possibly contributing to flavor, identified in four advanced backcross populations of tomato. Euphytica 127:163–177

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni JJ (2001) Molecular biology of fruit maturation and ripening. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 52:725–749

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni JJ (2004) Genetic regulation of fruit development and ripening. Plant Cell Suppl 16:S170–S180

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni JJ (2007) Fruit ripening mutants yield insights into ripening control. Curr Opin Plant Biol 10:283–289

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giovannoni JJ, DellaPenna D, Bennett A, Fischer R (1989) Expression of a chimeric polygalacturonase gene in transgenic rin (ripening inhibitor) tomato fruit results in polyuronide degradation but not fruit softening. Plant Cell 1:53–63

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta SM, Srivastava S, Sane AP, Nath P (2006) Differential expression of genes during banana fruit development, ripening and 1-MCP treatment: presence of distinct fruit specific, ethylene induced and ethylene repressed expression. Postharvest Biol Technol 42:16–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton AJ, Lycett GW, Grierson D (1990) Antisense gene that inhibits synthesis of the hormone ethylene in transgenic plants. Nature 346:284–287

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton AJ, Bouzayen M, Grierson D (1991) Identification of a tomato gene for the ethylene-forming enzyme by expression in yeast. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:7434–7437

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harada T, Sunako T, Wakasa Y, Soejima J, Satoh T, Niizeki M (1985) An allele of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase gene accounts for the low level of ethylene production in climacteric fruits of some apple cultivars. Theor Appl Genet 101:742–746

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschberg J (2001) Carotenoid biosynthesis in flowering plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol 4:210–218

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isaacson T, Ohad I, Beyer P, Hirschberg J (2002) Cloning of tangerine from tomato reveals a carotenoid isomerise essential for the production of β-carotene and xanthophylls in plants. Plant Cell 14:333–342

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez-Bermúdez S, Redondo-Nevado J, Munoz-Blanco J, Caballero JL, López-Aranda JM, Valpuesta V, Pliego-Alfaro F, Quesada MA, Mercado JA (2002) Manipulation of strawberry fruit softening by antisense expression of a pectate lyase gene. Plant Physiol 128:751–759

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson P, Ecker JR (1998) The ethylene gas signaling pathway in plants: a molecular perspective. Annu Rev Genet 32:227–254

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones B, Frasse P, Olmos E, Zegzouti H, Li ZG, Latché A, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (2002) Down-regulation of an ARF-like gene in the tomato results in a pleiotropic phenotype including dark-green and blotchy ripening fruit. Plant J 32:603–614

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katz E, Martinez-Lagunes P, Riov J, Weiss D, Goldsmidt EE (2004) Molecular and physiological evidence suggests the existence of a system II-like pathway of ethylene production in non-climacteric Citrus fruit. Planta 219:243–252

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kesari R, Trivedi PK, Nath P (2007) Ethylene-induced ripening in banana evokes expression of defense and stress related genes in fruit tissue. Postharvest Biol Technol 6:136–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Kevany BM, Tieman DM, Taylor MG, Dal Cin V, Klee HJ (2007) Ethylene receptor degradation controls the timing of ripening in tomato fruit. Plant J 51:458–467

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kevany BM, Taylor MG, Klee HJ (2008) Fruit-specific suppression of the ethylene receptor LeETR4 results in early-ripening tomato fruit. Plant Biotechnol J 6:295–300

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kieber JJ, Rothenberg M, Roman G, Feldmann KA, Ecker JR (1993) CTR1, a negative regulator of the ethylene response pathway in Arabidopsis, encodes a member of the Raf family of protein kinases. Cell 72:427–441

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klee HJ, Clark DG (2004) Ethylene signal transduction in fruits and flowers. In: Davies PJ (ed) Plant hormones: biosynthesis, signal transduction, action. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 369–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Knee M (1987) Development of ethylene biosynthesis in pear fruit at -1°C. J Exp Bot 38:1724–1733

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lanahan MB, Yen HC, Giovannoni JJ, Klee HJ (1994) The Never ripe mutation blocks ethylene perception in tomato. Plant Cell 6:521–530

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leclercq J, Adams-Phillips L, Zegzouti H, Jones B, Latché A, Giovannoni J, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (2002) Lectr1, a tomato ctr1-like gene, demonstrates ethylene signaling ability in Arabidopsis and novel expression patterns in tomato. Plant Physiol 130:1132–1142

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lelièvre JM, Latché A, Jones B, Bouzayen M, Pech JC (1997) Ethylene and fruit ripening. Physiol Plant 101:727–739

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln JE, Corde S, Read E, Fischer RL (1987) Regulation of gene expression by ethylene during Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) fruit development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:2793–2797

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Roof S, Ye Z, Barry C, van Tuinen A, Vrebalov J, Bowler G, Giovannoni J (2004) Manipulation of light signal transduction as means of modifying fruit nutritional quality in tomato. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 26:9897–9902

    Google Scholar 

  • Mailhac N, Chervin C (2006) Ethylene and grape berry ripening. Stewart Postharvest Rev 2:7

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning K, Tor M, Poole M, Hong Y, Thompson AJ, King GJ, Giovannoni JJ, Seymour GB (2006) A naturally occurring epigenetic mutation in a gene encoding an SBP-box transcription factor inhibits tomato fruit ripening. Nature Genet 38:948–952

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manríquez D, El-Sharkawy I, Flores FB, Regad F, Bouzayen M, Latché A, Pech JC (2006) Fruit-specific gene expression and biochemical characteristics of two highly divergent alcohol dehydrogenases of melon. Plant Mol Biol 61:675–685

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGlasson WB, Last JH, Shaw KJ, Meldrum SK (1987) Influence of the non-ripening mutants rin and nor on the aroma of tomato fruit. HortScience 22:632–634

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McMurchie EJ, McGlasson WB, Eaks IL (1972) Treatment of fruit with propylene gives information about the biogenesis of ethylene. Nature 237:235–236

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mol J, Jenkins G, Schäfer E, Weiss D (1996) Signal perception, transduction, and gene expression involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Crit Rev Plant Sci 15:525–557

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morin F, Rigault C, Hartmann C (1985) Conséquences d'un séjour au froid sur le métabolisme de l'éthylène au cours de la maturation de la poire Passe Crassane après récolte. Physiol Vég 23:353–359

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller LA, Solow TH, Taylor N, Skwarecki B, Buels R, Binns J, Lin C, Wright MH, Ahrens R, Wang Y, Herbst EV, Keyder ER, Menda N, Zamir D, Tanksley SD (2005) The SOL Genomics Network: a comparative resource for Solanaceae biology and beyond. Plant Physiol 138:1310–1317

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mustilli AC, Fenzi F, Ciliento R, Alafano F, Bowler G (1999) Phenotype of the tomato high pigment-2 mutant is caused by a mutation in the tomato homolog of DEETIOLATED1. Plant Cell 11:145–157

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishiyama K, Guis M, Rose JKC, Kubo Y, Bennett KA, Wangjin L, Kato K, Ushijima K, Nakano R, Inaba A, Bouzayen M, Latché A, Pech JC, Bennett A (2007) Ethylene regulation of fruit softening and cell wall disassembly in Charentais melon. J Exp Bot 58:1281–1290

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Obando J, Miranda CM, Jowkar M, Moreno E, Sour MK, Martinez JA, Arus P, Garcia-Mas J, Monforte AJ, Fernandez-Trujillo JP (2007) Creating climacteric melon fruit from non-climacteric parentals: postharvest implications. In: Ramina A, Chang C, Giovannoni J, Klee H, Woltering PE (eds) Advances in plant ethylene research. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 197–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Oeller DC, Min-Wong L, Taylor LP, Pike DA, Theologis A (1991) Reversible inhibition of tomato fruit senescence by antisense RNA. Science 254:437–439

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohme-Takagi M, Shinshi H (1995) Ethylene-inducible DNA binding proteins that interact with an ethylene-responsive element. Plant Cell 7:173–182

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Overy SA, Walker HJ, Malone S, Howard TP, Baxter CJ, Sweetlove LJ, Hill SA, Quick WP (2005) Application of metabolite profiling to the identification of traits in a population of tomato introgression lines. J Exp Bot 56:287–296

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pathak N, Asif MH, Dhawan P, Srivastava MK, Nath P (2003) Expression and activities of ethylene biosynthesis enzymes during ripening in banana fruits and effect of 1 MCP treatment. Plant Growth Regul 40:11–19

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pech JC, Bouzayen M, Latché A (2008a) Climacteric fruit ripening: ethylene-dependent and independent regulation of ripening pathways in melon fruit. Plant Sci 175:114–120

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pech JC, Latché A, van der Rest B (2008b) Genes involved in the biosynthesis of aroma volatiles in fruit and vegetables and biotechnological applications. In: Brückner B, Wyllie SG (eds) Fruit and vegetable flavour: recent advances and future prospects. Woodhead, Cambridge, pp 254–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Périn C, Gomez-Jimenez MC, Hagen L, Dogimont C, Pech JC, Latché A, Pitrat M, Lelièvre JM (2002) Molecular and genetic characterisation of a non-climacteric phenotype in melon reveals two loci conferring altered ethylene response in fruit. Plant Physiol 129:300–209

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Picton SJ, Barton SL, Bouzayen M, Hamilton AJ, Grierson D (1993) Altered fruit ripening and leaf senescence in tomatoes expressing an antisense ethylene-forming enzyme transgene. Plant J 3:469–481

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pirrello J, Jaimes-Miranda F, Sanchez-Ballesta MT, Tournier B, Khalil-Ahmad Q, Regad F, Latché A, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (2006) Sl-ERF2, a tomato ethylene response factor involved in ethylene response and seed germination. Plant Cell Physiol 47:1195–1205

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Resnick JS, Wen CK. Shockey JA, Chang C (2006) REVERSION-TO-ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1, a conserved gene that regulates ethylene receptor function in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:7917–7922

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riechmann JL, Heard J, Martin G, Reuber L, Jiang CZ, Keddie J, Adam L, Pineda O, Ratcliffe OJ, Samaha RR, Creelman R, Pilgrim M, Broun P, Zhang JZ, Ghandehari D, Sherman BK, Yu GL (2000) Arabidopsis transcription factors: genome-wide comparative analysis among eukaryotes. Science 290:2105–2110

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ronen G, Cohen M, Zamir D, Hirschberg J (1999) Regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis during tomato fruit development: expression of the gene for lycopene epsilon-cyclase is down-regulated during ripening and is elevated in the mutant Delta. Plant J 17:341–351

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ronen G, Carmel-Goren L, Zamir D, Hirschberg J (2000) An alternative pathway to β-carotene formation in plant chloroplasts discovered by map-based cloning of beta and old-gold color mutations of tomato. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97:11102–11107

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosado A, Schapire AL, Bressan RA, Harfouche AL, Hasegawa PM, Valpuesta V, Botella MA (2006) The Arabidopsis tetratricopeptide repeat-containing protein TTL1 is required for osmotic stress responses and abscisic acid sensitivity. Plant Physiol 142:1113–1126

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salveit ME Jr (1993) Internal carbon dioxide and ethylene levels in ripening tomato fruit attached to or detached from the plant. Physiol Plant 89:204–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz C, Olias JM, Perez AG (1997) Aroma biochemistry of fruits and vegetables. In: Tomas-Barberan FA (ed) Phytochemistry of fruit and vegetables. Oxford Science, Oxford, pp 125–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato T, Theologis A (1989) Cloning of the mRNA encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, the key enzyme for ethylene biosynthesis in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86:6621–6625

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seymour G, Poole M, Manning K, King G (2007) Genetics and epigenetics of fruit development and ripening. Curr Opin Plant Biol 10:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Shellie KC, Salveit ME Jr (1993) The lack of a respiratory rise in muskmelon fruit ripening on the plant challenges the definition of climacteric behaviour. J Exp Bot 44:1403–1406

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sisler EC, Serek M, Dupille E, Goren R (1999) Inhibition of ethylene responses by 1-methylcyclopropene and 3-methylcyclopropene. Plant Growth Regul 27:105–111

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith DL, Abbott JA, Gross KC (2002) Down-regulation of tomato β-galactosidase 4 results in decreased fruit softening. Plant Physiol 129:1755–1762

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solano R, Stepanova A, Chao QM, Ecker JR (1998) Nuclear events in ethylene signaling: a transcriptional cascade mediated by ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 and ETHYLENE-RESPONSE-FACTOR1. Genes Dev 12:3703–3714

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stepanova AN, Yun J, Likhacheva AV, Alonso JM (2007) Multilevel interactions between ethylene and auxin in Arabidopsis roots. Plant Cell 19:2169–2185

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sunako T, Sakuraba W, Senda M, Akada S, Ishikawa R, Niizeki M, Harada T (1999) An allele of the ripening-specific 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase gene (ACS1) in apple fruit with a long storage life. Plant Physiol 119:1297–1303

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanksley SD, McCouch SR (1997) Seed banks and molecular maps: unlocking genetic potential from the wild. Science 277:1063–1066

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tieman DM, Harriman RW, Ramamohan G, Handa AK (1992) An antisense pectin methylesterase gene alters pectin chemistry and soluble solids in tomato fruit. Plant Cell 4:667–669

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomes ML (1969) Delta-carotene in the tomato. Genetics 62:769–780

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vaysse P, Scandella D, Masseron A, Mathieu V, Trillot M, Marion M (2000) Recognizing apple and pear varieties. Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits Légumes, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Vrebalov J, Ruezinsky D, Padmanabahn V, White R, Medrano D, Drake R, Schuch W, Giovannoni J (2002) A MADS-box gene necessary for fruit ripening at the tomato ripening-inhibitor (rin) locus. Science 296:343–346

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Jones B, Li Z, Frasse P, Delalande C, Regad F, Chaabouni S, Latché A, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (2005) LeIAA9, a tomato Aux/IAA gene involved in fruit development and leaf morphogenesis. Plant Cell 17:2676–2692

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Schauer N, Usadel B, Frasse P, Zouine M, Hernould M, Latché A, Pech JC, Fernie AR, Bouzayen M (2009) Regulatory features underlying pollination-dependent and -independent tomato fruit set revealed by transcript and primary metabolite profiling. Plant Cell 21:1428–1452

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang A, Tan D, Takahashi A, Zhong Li T, Harada T (2007) MdERFs, two ethylene-response factors involved in apple fruit ripening. J Exp Bot 58:3743–3748

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins CB (2002) Ethylene synthesis: mode of action, consequences, and control. In: Knee M (ed) Fruit quality and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield, pp 180–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson JQ, Lanahan MB, Yen H-C, Giovannoni JJ, Klee HJ (1995) An ethylene inducible component of signal transduction encoded by Never-ripe. Science 270:1807–1809

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winkel-Shirley B (2001) Flavonoids biosynthesis. A colourful model for genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, and biotechnology. Plant Physiol 126:485–493

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yahyaoui EF, Wongs-Aree C, Latché A, Hackett R, Grierson D, Pech JC (2002) Molecular and biochemical characteristics of a gene encoding an alcohol acyl-transferase involved in the generation of aroma volatile esters during melon ripening. Eur J Biochem 269:2359–2366

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SF, Hoffman NE (1984) Ethylene biosynthesis and its regulation in higher plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35:155–189

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zegzouti H, Jones B, Frasse P, Marty C, Maitre B, Latché A, Pech JC, Bouzayen M (1999) Ethylene-regulated gene expression in tomato fruit: characterization of novel ethylene-responsive and ripening-related genes isolated by differential display. Plant J 18:589–600

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng XY, Wolff DW (2000) Ethylene production, shelf-life and evidence of RFLP polymorphisms linked to ethylene genes in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Theor Appl Genet 101:613–624

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng XY, Wolff D, Crosby WKM (2002) Genetics of ethylene biosynthesis and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs) of ACC oxidase and synthase genes in melon (Cucumis melo L.) Theor Appl Genet 105:397–403

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X, Liu Q, Xie F, Wen C (2007) RTE1 is a Golgi-associated and ETR1-dependent negative regulator of ethylene responses. Plant Physiol 145:75–86

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support of the IFCPAR-CEFIPRA Indo-French programme (Grant 3303-02).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Génomique et Biotechnologie des Fruits, INRA, Chemin de Borde Rouge, F-31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France

    M. Bouzayen

  2. Génomique et Biotechnologie des Fruits, Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSA Toulouse, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, BP 32607, F-31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France

    A. Latché

  3. Plant Gene Expression Laboratory, National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, 226 001, India

    P. Nath & J. C. Pech

Authors
  1. M. Bouzayen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Latché
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Nath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. C. Pech
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Bouzayen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. New Era College, Jalan Bukit, Kajang, 43000, Malaysia

    Eng Chong Pua

  2. Dept. Plant Sciences Division, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom

    Michael R. Davey

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bouzayen, M., Latché, A., Nath, P., Pech, J.C. (2010). Mechanism of Fruit Ripening. In: Pua, E., Davey, M. (eds) Plant Developmental Biology - Biotechnological Perspectives. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02301-9_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation