Differential expression levels of aroma-related genes during ripening of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.).
Fruit aroma is a complex trait, particularly in terms of the number of different biosynthetic pathways involved, the complexity of the final metabolites, and their regulation. In order to understand the underlying biochemical processes involved in apricot aroma, four cDNAs (Pa-aat, EU784138; Pa-adhEU395433; Pa-pdcEU395434; and Pa-loxEU439430) encoding an alcohol acyl transferase (AAT), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), and lipoxygenase (LOX), respectively, were isolated and characterized at four stages of maturity in Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Modesto. We observed a reduction in aldehyde and alcohol production between early-harvested fruit and late-harvest fruit, concomitant with an increase in ester production. qPCR analyses showed that the expression levels of the adh gene and the lox gene stayed constant at all stages. Interestingly, aat levels showed a sharp increase in the late-harvest stages concurrent with the changes observed in ester levels. The significance of these changes in relation to aroma production in apricot is discussed.
González-Agüero
Mauricio
M
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Santiago, Chile.
Troncoso
Sebastián
S
Gudenschwager
Orianne
O
Campos-Vargas
Reinaldo
R
Moya-León
María A
MA
Defilippi
Bruno G
BG
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008084:Lipoxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D027861:Prunus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014835:Volatilization
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D008084:Lipoxygenase; D000217:Acyltransferases; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase