title: Analysis of ripening-related gene expression in papaya using an Arabidopsis-based microarray.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a commercially important crop that produces climacteric fruits with a soft and sweet pulp that contain a wide range of health promoting phytochemicals. Despite its importance, little is known about transcriptional modifications during papaya fruit ripening and their control. In this study we report the analysis of ripe papaya transcriptome by using a cross-species (XSpecies) microarray technique based on the phylogenetic proximity between papaya and Arabidopsis thaliana.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Papaya transcriptome analyses resulted in the identification of 414 ripening-related genes with some having their expression validated by qPCR. The transcription profile was compared with that from ripening tomato and grape. There were many similarities between papaya and tomato especially with respect to the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in primary metabolism, regulation of transcription, biotic and abiotic stress and cell wall metabolism. XSpecies microarray data indicated that transcription factors (TFs) of the MADS-box, NAC and AP2/ERF gene families were involved in the control of papaya ripening and revealed that cell wall-related gene expression in papaya had similarities to the expression profiles seen in Arabidopsis during hypocotyl development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-species array experiment identified a ripening-related set of genes in papaya allowing the comparison of transcription control between papaya and other fruit bearing taxa during the ripening process.
authors.affiliation: University of São Paulo, Department of Food Science and Experimental Nutrition, FCF, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fabi
authors.forename: Graham B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: Neil S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Broadley
authors.forename: Sean T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Franco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Lajolo
authors.forename: Beatriz Rosana
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Cordenunsi
authors.forename: João Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Oliveira do Nascimento
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D029441:Carica / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000502:physiology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D059467:Transcriptome; D027843:Vitis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018749:RNA, Plant; D014157:Transcription Factors