| Abstract Detail
Conference Wide Isaacson, Tal [1], Saladié, Montserrat [1], He, Yonghua [1], Jenks, Matt [2], Rose, Jocelyn [1]. The use of tomato mutants to characterize the roles of the epidermis and cuticle in fruit development and ripening. THE surfaces of aerial plant tissues are covered by a protective layer, termed the cuticle, which is comprised of a complex mixture of waxes and a polymeric cutin matrix. The cuticle has been shown to play critical roles in restricting water loss and providing a protective barrier against viruses, bacteria and fungi. Moreover, as the outer load-bearing layer, the cuticle is a key factor that regulates organ integrity. The importance of the cuticle in fruit ripening and postharvest storage can be inferred since these processes involve tissue disintegration and collapse, desiccation and infection by numerous opportunistic microbes. While research over more than 40 years has provided insights into the composition of fruit cell wall polysaccharides, the mechanisms associated with their synthesis, degradation and their contribution to fruit quality, far less equivalent information is known about the fruit cuticle.
We have been using a number of tomato mutants with altered fruit epidermis morphology to characterize the composition, synthesis and function of the fruit cuticle. These include several tomato mutants with altered cutin and wax composition and the DFD (Delayed Fruit Deterioration) mutant. The fruits of DFD ripen in a normal fashion, exhibiting a climacteric burst, an increase in sugar accumulation and a typical color change; however, unlike normal cultivated tomatoes, the DFD fruits remain firm for more than 8 months after harvest at the red ripe stage. We have evidence that this phenotype is related to the structure of the fruit cuticle. Taken together, this portfolio of mutants provides a potential opportunity to determine the molecular bases of cuticle synthesis, assembly and physiological function.
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1 - Cornell University, Plant Biology, 228 plant sciences, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
2 - Purdue University, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
Keywords:
tomato
fruit
epidermis
cuticle.
Session: Poster-131
Location: Ballroom CD/Monona Terrace
Date: Tuesday, July 25th, 2006
Time: 8:00 AM
Abstract ID:291 |
