title: Hormones, polyamines, and cell wall metabolism during oil palm fruit mesocarp development and ripening.
abstract: Oil palm is one of the most productive oil-producing crops and can store up to 90% oil in its fruit mesocarp. Oil palm fruit is a sessile drupe consisting of a fleshy mesocarp from which palm oil is extracted. Biochemical changes in the mesocarp cell walls, polyamines, and hormones at different ripening stages of oil palm fruits were studied, and the relationship between the structural and the biochemical metabolism of oil palm fruits during ripening is discussed. Time-course analysis of the changes in expression of polyamines, hormones, and cell-wall-related genes and metabolites provided insights into the complex processes and interactions involved in fruit development. Overall, a strong reduction in auxin-responsive gene expression was observed from 18 to 22 weeks after pollination. High polyamine concentrations coincided with fruit enlargement during lipid accumulation and latter stages of maturation. The trend of abscisic acid (ABA) concentration was concordant with GA₄ but opposite to the GA₃ profile such that as ABA levels increase the resulting elevated ABA/GA₃ ratio clearly coincides with maturation. Polygalacturonase, expansin, and actin gene expressions were also observed to increase during fruit maturation. The identification of the master regulators of these coordinated processes may allow screening for oil palm variants with altered ripening profiles.
authors.affiliation: Sime Darby Technology Centre Sdn Bhd, First Floor, Block B, UPM-MTDC Technology Centre III, Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang, 43400 Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Huey Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.forename: Bee Keat
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Neoh
authors.forename: Yick Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Qi Bin
authors.initials: QB
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Tony Eng Keong
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: Theresa Lee Mei
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Soon Huat
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tiong
authors.forename: Jaime Yoke Sum
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: Asma Dazni
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Danial
authors.forename: Mohd Amiron
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ersad
authors.forename: Harikrishna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kulaveerasingam
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Appleton
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008296:Malaysia; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054817:Pollination; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D005875:Gibberellins; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011073:Polyamines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; C095825:expansin protein, plant; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D011096:Polygalacturonase