Article
Plant Sciences
Mengjie Fu, Fenfen Li, Shengen Zhou, Pengyu Guo, Yanan Chen, Qiaoli Xie, Guoping Chen, Zongli Hu
Summary: The transcription factor SlGT31 positively regulates fruit ripening by binding to the promoters of ethylene biosynthesis genes ACO1 and ACS4. This study provides insight into the involvement of trihelix proteins in fruit ripening and transcriptional regulation, highlighting the role of SlGT31 as a positive modulator.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Martine Lemaire-Chamley, Claude Koutouan, Joana Jorly, Julien Assali, Takuya Yoshida, Marilise Nogueira, Takayuki Tohge, Carine Ferrand, Lazaro E. P. Peres, Erika Asamizu, Hiroshi Ezura, Paul D. Fraser, Mohammad-Reza Hajirezaei, Alisdair R. Fernie, Christophe Rothan
Summary: The bZIP transcription factor SlTGA2.2 plays an important role in the growth and maturation of tomato fruits. By targeting the expression of a chimeric repressor, the study found that the repressor affects fruit development and metabolism, prolongs the time to reach maturity, and slows down fruit ripening. This research provides a useful tool for studying the molecular bases of tomato fruit transition to ripening.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Daphne K. Sugino Souffront, Diego Salazar-Amoretti, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran
Summary: This study investigates how vermicompost tea enhances pest resistance in crop plants. The results showed that vermicompost tea improves growth parameters and influences the production of secondary metabolites.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Thaline M. Pimenta, Genaina A. Souza, Lubia S. Teixeira, Agustin Zsogon, Dimas M. Ribeiro
Summary: Elevated carbon dioxide concentration has the potential to modify tomato fruit size and ripeness. It increases fruit yield and mineral concentration, enhances fruit expansion rate and accelerates maturation by increasing ethylene and carotenoid concentrations.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
JiaQian Zhou, XiaoYang Zhao, Sen Yang, Cai E. Wu, ZhaoHui Xue, XiaoHong Kou
Summary: Previous study finds that SNAC4 and SNAC9 have opposite effects on carotenoid biosynthesis and softening in tomato fruit ripening. Using an overexpressing system, this study explores the regulatory mechanism of SNAC4/9 in tomato fruit ripening and softening. The results show that the overexpression of SNAC4 and SNAC9 accelerates fruit ripening, promotes ethylene biosynthesis and carotenoid accumulation, but has different effects on ABA content and fruit firmness.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Charlotte Steelheart, Matias L. Alegre, Pierre Baldet, Christophe Rothan, Cecile Bres, Daniel Just, Yoshihiro Okabe, Hiroshi Ezura, Inti M. Ganganelli, Gustavo E. Gergoff Grozeff, Carlos G. Bartoli
Summary: This study investigated the role of H2O2 in tomato ripening and found that H2O2 participates in this process through its association with the ethylene signaling pathway. The experiments showed that high irradiance treatment enhanced H2O2 production and accelerated fruit ripening. These results may be attributed to changes in the expression of H2O2-related genes and ethylene-related genes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiaoli Xie, Yanling Tian, Zongli Hu, Lincheng Zhang, Boyan Tang, Yunshu Wang, Jing Li, Guoping Chen
Summary: This study investigated the proteome and phosphoproteome of tomato fruits using TMT and LC-MS, revealing the translation and post-translational regulation mechanisms of tomato fruit-ripening. The affected protein levels were found to be correlated with their corresponding gene transcript levels, and diverse metabolic pathways were regulated by phosphorylation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Li Zhang, LiJing Chen, ShengQun Pang, Qun Zheng, ShaoWen Quan, YuFeng Liu, Tao Xu, YuDong Liu, MingFang Qi
Summary: AP2/ethylene responsive factors play crucial roles in regulating various processes in plants, especially in fruit development and ripening. The DREB and ERF subfamily genes in tomato show some regular changes during these processes, suggesting direct or indirect responses to IAA and/or ET signals.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kapil Sharma, Soni Gupta, Supriya Sarma, Meenakshi Rai, Yellamaraju Sreelakshmi, Rameshwar Sharma
Summary: This study reveals the role of ethylene in the development of tomato plants, not only in ripening but also in vegetative and reproductive processes. Mutants acs2-1 and acs2-2 exhibit contrasting ethylene emission levels and responses, impacting physiological and metabolic profiles of tomatoes.
Article
Cell Biology
Maria A. Slugina, Gleb I. Efremov, Anna V. Shchennikova, Elena Z. Kochieva
Summary: The ripening of tomato fleshy fruit is coordinated by the transcription factor RIN, which triggers various metabolic processes. Different tomato cultivars and wild species show variations in the RIN gene locus and genotype, leading to differences in gene expression and function related to fruit ripening. RIN1 activates ripening-related genes, while RIN2 and RIN-MC act as modulators by competing for RIN-binding sites in gene promoters.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhi-Kun Geng, Lin Ma, Yu-Lei Rong, Wan-Jie Li, Gai-Fang Yao, Hua Zhang, Kang-Di Hu
Summary: In this study, a tomato methionine synthase named SlMS1 was found to play a positive regulatory role in tomato fruit ripening. Further investigation showed that SlMS1 could up-regulate the expression of genes related to carotenoid synthesis, chlorophyll degradation, cell wall metabolism, and ethylene synthesis pathway, thereby promoting fruit ripening. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanism of tomato fruit ripening.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rafael Zuccarelli, Marta Rodriguez-Ruiz, Patricia J. Lopes-Oliveira, Grazieli B. Pascoal, Sonia C. S. Andrade, Claudia M. Furlan, Eduardo Purgatto, Jose M. Palma, Francisco J. Corpas, Magdalena Rossi, Luciano Freschi
Summary: The study found that NO has a significant impact on the ripening process of tomato fruit, including regulating ripening-related genes, affecting metabolite content, and limiting ethylene production. Additionally, NO intensified oxidative stress and nitro-oxidative events, impacting the biosynthesis of compounds such as ascorbate, flavonoids, and lycopene.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Dimitrios Fanourakis, Nikolaos Nikoloudakis, Konstantinos Paschalidis, Miltiadis Christopoulos, Eleni Goumenaki, Eleni Tsantili, Costas Delis, Georgios Tsaniklidis
Summary: Beta-galactosidases play a crucial role in tomato fruit ripening and postharvest processes, including quality and cold acclimation. The expression of beta-galactosidase genes is regulated by fruit maturation stage and postharvest storage temperature. β-GAL activity is present in the pericarp and is influenced by temperature.
Article
Agronomy
Luis Felipe Gonzalez-Concha, Joaquin Guillermo Ramirez-Gil, Raymundo Saul Garcia-Estrada, Angel Rebollar-Alviter, Juan Manuel Tovar-Pedraza
Summary: This study analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in commercial tomato greenhouses and found that logistic models best described the temporal progress of the virus. The disease exhibited slightly aggregated patterns in the initial phase, highly aggregated in the exponential phase, and uniform in the deceleration and stationary phases, with important implications for disease monitoring, diagnosis, management, and risk prediction.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xin Tang, Yanchao Zhou, Yang Liu, Huoying Chen, Haiyan Ge
Summary: This study determined the volatiles of four cherry tomato varieties and identified important aroma components and enzymatic activities at different growth stages. The odor activity values revealed 37 aroma compounds as characteristic components of cherry tomato. Spearman's correlation analysis uncovered the potential mechanism of volatile metabolism in full-ripe cherry tomatoes.
JOURNAL OF FOOD MEASUREMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lalida Sangpong, Gholamreza Khaksar, Pinnapat Pinsorn, Akira Oikawa, Ryosuke Sasaki, Alexander Erban, Mutsumi Watanabe, Karan Wangpaiboon, Takayuki Tohge, Joachim Kopka, Rainer Hoefgen, Kazuki Saito, Supaart Sirikantaramas
Summary: The study found that sucrose content increased during the ripening process of durian, while aspartate decreased. Changes in raffinose-family oligosaccharides were reported for the first time, and most amino acids increased. By transcriptomic analysis, key candidate genes can be identified for further research.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Taketo Okada, Takao Namiki, Takayuki Tohge, Shigehiko Kanaya
Summary: Kampo is a traditional Japanese medicine system validated over millennia in Asia, focusing on preventing and treating disease holistically based on specific diagnosis Sho. This complex medication system can be explained using chemometrics and informatic approaches.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL MEDICINES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Martine Lemaire-Chamley, Claude Koutouan, Joana Jorly, Julien Assali, Takuya Yoshida, Marilise Nogueira, Takayuki Tohge, Carine Ferrand, Lazaro E. P. Peres, Erika Asamizu, Hiroshi Ezura, Paul D. Fraser, Mohammad-Reza Hajirezaei, Alisdair R. Fernie, Christophe Rothan
Summary: The bZIP transcription factor SlTGA2.2 plays an important role in the growth and maturation of tomato fruits. By targeting the expression of a chimeric repressor, the study found that the repressor affects fruit development and metabolism, prolongs the time to reach maturity, and slows down fruit ripening. This research provides a useful tool for studying the molecular bases of tomato fruit transition to ripening.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Silvio Candido-Sobrinho, Valeria Lima, Francisco Freire, Leonardo de Souza, Jorge Gago, Alisdair R. Fernie, Danilo M. Daloso
Summary: Recent research suggests that metabolism-mediated stomatal closure mechanisms play a crucial role in regulating the differences in stomatal speediness between ferns and angiosperms. Ferns showed a lack of response to ABA and slower stomatal responses to sucrose and mannitol compared to angiosperms. Metabolomics analysis revealed that ferns accumulate more secondary metabolites than primary metabolites throughout the diel course, presenting a potential mechanism for the slower stomatal closure and differences in response to exogenous substances between ferns and angiosperms.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuting Liu, Alisdair R. Fernie, Takayuki Tohge
Summary: The O-methylation of specialized metabolites in plants is a unique decoration that provides structural and functional diversity. The O-methylation of flavonoids promotes antimicrobial activities and liposolubility. Characterizing the physiology roles of methoxylated flavonoids with flavonoid O-methyltransferases is useful for crop improvement and metabolic engineering.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jay C. Delfin, Yuri Kanno, Mitsunori Seo, Naoki Kitaoka, Hideyuki Matsuura, Takayuki Tohge, Takafumi Shimizu
Summary: AtGH3.10 plays a role in flower development and the wound stress response in Arabidopsis, partially overlapping with AtJAR1.
Article
Plant Sciences
Matteo Chialva, Davide Lucien Patono, Leonardo Perez de Souza, Mara Novero, Sara Vercellino, Moez Maghrebi, Michele Morgante, Claudio Lovisolo, Gianpiero Vigani, Alisdair Fernie, Valentina Fiorilli, Luisa Lanfranco, Paola Bonfante
Summary: Coffee, being one of the most traded commodities globally, exhibits a strong interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This study explored the mycorrhizal phenotype of two important coffee cultivars under phosphorus limitation and found that fungal colonization significantly increased biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, and plant nutrition. This interaction also led to reorganization of major metabolic pathways.
Article
Plant Sciences
Leonardo Perez de Souza, Elena Bitocchi, Roberto Papa, Takayuki Tohge, Alisdair R. Fernie
Summary: The process of crop domestication leads to a reduction in gene expression associated with metabolic diversity, particularly in genes involved in specialized metabolism. The reduction in diversity at the metabolite level has been assumed but never adequately assessed and quantified. This study used high coverage metabolomics to investigate metabolic diversity in common bean and found a shift towards lower diversity and specialization in domesticated bean accessions. Molecular networking analysis enabled a broader annotation of metabolites and revealed a metabolic shift from specialized metabolism to central metabolism upon domestication of this crop.
Review
Plant Sciences
Mutsumi Watanabe, Takayuki Tohge
Summary: Functional genomics approaches have successfully detected key metabolic polymorphisms in plant specialized metabolism through comparative omics analyses of wild-accessions and cultivars/wild species, as well as comparative genomic analyses in plant species focusing on gene clusters. In recent decades, intra-species specific metabolic polymorphisms, new functionalization of tandem duplicated genes, and metabolic gene clusters have been found as the main factors creating metabolic diversity of specialized metabolites in plants. However, strategic approaches depending on the target metabolic pathways are required for gene identification in plant specialized metabolism. The increasing availability of plant genome sequences and transcriptome data has facilitated inter-specific comparative analyses, including genomic analysis and gene co-expression network analysis. Here, we introduce functional genomics approaches with the integration of inter-/intra-species comparative metabolomics, their key roles in providing genomic signatures of metabolic evolution, and discuss future prospects of functional genomics on plant specialized metabolism.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yue Jing, Mutsumi Watanabe, Fayezeh Aarabi, Alisdair R. Fernie, Monica Borghi, Takayuki Tohge
Summary: This study comprehensively analyzed the responses of four Brassicaceae species to UV-B radiation, revealing a reprogramming of the central metabolic pathway and the production of specific classes of flavonoids with increased protection against UV-B radiation. The activation of the phenylpropanoid-acetate pathway and the increase in phenylacylated-flavonoid glucosides were also observed across species. Interestingly, the expression of acyltransferase genes of the SCPLs protein class was constitutive but downregulated in response to UV-B radiation, possibly independent of the HY5 signaling pathway.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Naake, Feng Zhu, Saleh Alseekh, Federico Scossa, Leonardo Perez de Souza, Monica Borghi, Yariv Brotman, Tetsuya Mori, Ryo Nakabayashi, Takayuki Tohge, Alisdair R. Fernie
Summary: Plants synthesize specialized metabolites to interact with the environment. This study used genome-wide association studies and quantitative trait locus mapping to identify genetic loci controlling specialized metabolites in Arabidopsis seeds, including glucosinolates, flavonoids, and unknown sulfur-containing compounds.
Article
Plant Sciences
Monica Borghi, Leonardo Perez de Souza, Takayuki Tohge, Jianing Mi, Giovanni Melandri, Sebastian Proost, Marina C. M. Martins, Salim Al-Babili, Harro J. Bouwmeester, Alisdair R. Fernie
Summary: Anthesis is characterized by intense metabolic changes, including high-energy-level metabolism and transport of carbohydrates and amino acids. These changes play a crucial role in flower opening and may promote pollination in crops.
Article
Plant Sciences
Feng Zhu, Sagar Sudam Jadhav, Takayuki Tohge, Mohamed A. Salem, Je Min Li, James J. Giovannoni, Yunjiang Cheng, Saleh Alseekh, Alisdair R. Fernie
Summary: A reliable approach combining comparative transcriptomics and expression QTLs was used to identify 16 candidate genes involved in tomato fruit ripening. One potential ripening regulator, SlWD40, was validated and found to strongly co-express with master regulators and vital TFs. Overexpression and RNAi analysis of SlWD40 confirmed its role as an important ripening regulator. These findings contribute to our understanding of the gene regulatory networks involved in tomato ripening and demonstrate the effectiveness of comparative genomics and transcriptomics in identifying causal genes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Naake, Hiroshi A. Maeda, Sebastian Proost, Takayuki Tohge, Alisdair R. Fernie
Summary: This study investigated the deep evolutionary history of the type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) by conducting phylogenomic synteny network and phylogenetic analyses. The results revealed that CHS and LAP5/6 homologs evolved early by segmental duplication prior to the divergence of Bryophytes and Tracheophytes. The macroevolution of the PKS superfamily was suggested to be governed by whole-genome duplications and triplications, with recent functional divergence captured by gene sequence alterations.
