Light signaling genes and their manipulation towards modulation of phytonutrient content in tomato fruits.
Due to its economic importance, ease of genetic manipulation, cultivation and processing, the tomato plant has been a target for increasing and diversifying content of fruit phytonutrients by transgenic and non-transgenic approaches. The tomato high pigment (hp) mutations exemplify the latter alternative and due to their positive effect on fruit lycopene content, they were introgressed into elite tomato germplasm for cost effective extraction of this important carotenoid. Interestingly, hp mutant fruits are also characterized by higher fruit levels of other functional metabolites, phenotypes caused by mutations in central genes regulating light signal-transduction. This gene identification suggests that modulation of light signaling machinery in plants may be highly effective towards manipulation of fruit phytonutrients but has never been thoroughly reviewed. This review therefore summarizes the progress which has been made on this valuable approach, emphasizing the consequences of transgenic modulation of light signaling components on the functional properties of the tomato fruit.
Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.
Raviv
R
Azari
Yaakov
Y
Tadmor
Ayala
A
Meir
Moshe
M
Reuveni
Dalia
D
Evenor
Sahadia
S
Nahon
Haviva
H
Shlomo
Lea
L
Chen
Ilan
I
Levin
D056931:Cryptochromes / Q000235:genetics*; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D055537:Light Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010777:Photochemistry; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000235:genetics*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D056931:Cryptochromes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D010834:Phytochrome