title: Suppression of tomato SlNAC1 transcription factor delays fruit ripening.
abstract: Fruit ripening is a complex process involving many physiological and biochemical changes, including those for ethylene, carotenoid, and cell wall metabolism. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) serves as a research model for fruit development and ripening because it possesses numerous favorable genetic features. In this study, SlNAC1 was cloned. An antisense (AS) vector was constructed and transferred to tomato to further explore the function of SlNAC1. The results showed that AS fruits exhibited delayed ripening and a deeper red appearance when these fruits were fully ripened. Fully ripened AS fruits also produced higher total carotenoid and lycopene contents than those of the wild-type (WT) line. Ethylene production of AS fruits was delayed but occurred to a higher extent than that of WT fruits. The softening of AS fruits was slower than that of WT fruits. Endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) level in AS-4 fruits was lower than that in WT fruits. Exogenous ABA accelerated the softening of AS fruits. Furthermore, AS fruits demonstrated up-regulated expression of genes related to lycopene and ethylene biosynthesis but down-regulated expression of genes related to cell wall metabolism and ABA synthesis. Therefore, SlNAC1 is likely implicated in fruit ripening.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, PR China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Dongyue
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaocui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Weiyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China. Electronic address: nnma@sdau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Nana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Street, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
authors.forename: Qingwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005030:Ethylenes; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002338:Carotenoids; D000040:Abscisic Acid; C036216:ethylene; D000077276:Lycopene
keywords: ABA; Ethylene; Fruit ripening; Gene expression; SlNAC1; Tomato