Non-climacteric fruit ripening in pepper: increased transcription of EIL-like genes normally regulated by ethylene.
Only limited information has been published to date on the similarities and differences between climacteric and non-climacteric fruit ripening on transcriptional level. To address this issue, we performed a direct comparative transcriptome analysis between tomato and pepper fruits using heterologous microarray hybridization. Given the significant differences in the morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of pepper and tomato fruits, the existence of extensive common regulons is surprising. This finding suggests the conservation of ripening mechanisms in climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. However, disparate expression profiles were also observed in both fruits. This study revealed that a gene that encodes an enzyme that converts lycopene to downstream carotenoids is induced in pepper but not in tomato. Most of the genes that encode ribosomal proteins are only induced in early fruit-stage pepper fruit and show rapidly diminishing expression in the later developmental stages. The genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis were not induced in pepper fruit. However, the EIL-like genes, ethylene-mediated signaling components, were induced in pepper fruit. Divergent types of transcription factors were expressed in ripening tomato and pepper fruits, suggesting they may be key factors that differentiate these distinct ripening processes.
Lee
Sanghyeob
S
Bio-Research Team, Dongbu Advanced Research Team, Daejeon, South Korea.
Chung
Eun-Joo
EJ
Joung
Young-Hee
YH
Choi
Doil
D
D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002212:Capsicum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects*; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011786:Quality Control; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
D005030:Ethylenes; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002338:Carotenoids; C036216:ethylene