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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Dairy and Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353799
Research Project: In Vitro Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem: Effects of Diet

Location: Dairy and Functional Foods Research

Title: Transcriptomics analysis on the regulation of tomato ripening by the ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene

Author
item BOBOKALONOV, JAMSHED - Chemical Institute Of Tajikistan
item Liu, Yanhong
item SHAHRIN, TASNUVA - Chemical Institute Of Tajikistan
item Liu, Linshu

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Studies
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2018
Publication Date: 7/11/2018
Citation: Bobokalonov, J., Liu, Y., Shahrin, T., Liu, L.S. 2018. Transcriptomics analysis on the regulation of tomato ripening by the ethylene inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene. Journal of Plant Studies. 7(2):49-60. https://doi.org/10.5539/jps.v7n2p49.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/jps.v7n2p49

Interpretive Summary: Fruits such as tomatoes produce ethylene when they began to ripen. As the amount of ethylene increases, the ripening process accelerates and the color of green tomatoes changes to red. 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is currently used to treat fruits, such as tomatoes, by decreasing ethylene production thus delaying ripening; however, the mechanism of how 1-MCP delayed fruit ripening was unknown. In the present research, we measured the responses of tomatoes to 1-MCP at the molecular level. Transcriptome analysis was used to detect which genes were turned on or off when 1-MCP was applied to the tomato. It was found that 1-MCP treatment turned off or down regulated specific genes in the tomato involved in ethylene and carotenoid (color) production. The research results may help farmers and food processors to better use 1-MCP, and scientists to discover novel plant growth regulators.

Technical Abstract: Tomato is a climacteric fruit whose ripening is regulated by the plant hormone ethylene. 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a competitive ethylene inhibitor of that can delay the fruit ripening process. To understand the molecular mechanism of how 1-MCP inhibits tomato fruit ripening, transcriptomics (RNA-Seq) was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed in 1-MCP-treated (Day 1) tomato fruits. Of the 35340 genes in the tomato genome, about 50% were expressed with 1-MCP treatment. There were 5683 genes identified as significantly differentially expressed. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assays were used to validate the RNA-Seq data. Our results showed that 1-MCP treatment resulted in the down-regulation of fruit ripening-related genes, including genes involved in ethylene synthesis, signal transduction and carotenoid biosynthesis. Our results provide insight at the whole genome level regarding gene regulation by 1-MCP during fruit ripening. Understanding the molecular basis of 1-MCP inhibition on tomato ripening may help farmers and food processors to better use 1-MCP in the food industry.