title: Expression profile of genes coding for carotenoid biosynthetic pathway during ripening and their association with accumulation of lycopene in tomato fruits.
abstract: Fruit ripening process is associated with change in carotenoid profile and accumulation of lycopene in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). In this study, we quantified the beta-carotene and lycopene content at green, breaker and red-ripe stages of fruit ripening in eight tomato genotypes by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Among the genotypes, lycopene content was found highest in Pusa Rohini and lowest in VRT-32-1. To gain further insight into the regulation of lycopene biosynthesis and accumulation during fruit ripening, expression analysis of nine carotenoid pathway-related genes was carried out in the fruits of high lycopene genotype-Pusa Rohini. We found that expression of phytoene synthase and beta-carotene hydroxylase-1 was four and thirty-fold higher, respectively, at breaker stage as compared to red-ripe stage of fruit ripening. Changes in the expression level of these genes were associated with a 40% increase in lycopene content at red-ripe stage as compared with breaker stage. Thus, the results from our study suggest the role of specific carotenoid pathway-related genes in accumulation of high lycopene during the fruit ripening processes.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi 110 012, India. kailashbansal@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shuchi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smita
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajwanshi
authors.forename: Sangram Keshari
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lenka
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katiyar
authors.forename: Viswanathan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chinnusamy
authors.forename: Kailash Chander
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Bansal
mesh_terms: D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene