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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161355
Title: FRUIT COLORATION IN WATERMELON - LESSONS FROM THE TOMATO

Author
item TADMOR, Y - NEWE YA'AR RES. CENTER
item KATZIR, N - NEWE YA'AR RES. CENTER
item KING, S - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Levi, Amnon
item Davis, Angela
item HIRSCHBERG, J - THE HEBREW UNIV. ISRAEL

Submitted to: Progress in Cucurbit Genetics and Breeding Research
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2004
Publication Date: 7/14/2004
Citation: Tadmor, Y., Katzir, N., King, S., Levi, A., Davis, A.R., Hirschberg, J. 2004. Fruit coloration in watermelon - lessons from the tomato. Progress in Cucurbit Genetics and Breeding Research. A. Lebeda and H.S. Paris (Eds.). p. 181-185.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The characteristic red pigmentation of watermelon and tomato fruits is determined by accumulation of the carotenoid pigment lycopene and this phenotype is polyphyletic. Since several carotenoids are known to have health promoting activities, and watermelon can be a significant source of lycopene and other carotenoids, it is important to understand the genetic basis of fruit-specific carotenoid biosynthesis. In contrast to tomato, very little is known about the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis during fruit development in watermelon. In this research we analyzed carotenoids in watermelon fruits of various flesh colors and compared their carotenoid patterns to known tomato fruit color mutants. we detected mutations in watermelon that seem orthologous to the r, t, og and B tomato mutations. By comparing the fruit carotenoid biosynthetic pathways of two unrelated species we contribute to the understanding of the evolution of fruit development processes and carotenogenesis.