title: Production and characterization of tearless and non-pungent onion.
abstract: The onion lachrymatory factor (LF) is produced from trans-S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (PRENCSO) through successive reactions catalyzed by alliinase (EC 4.4.1.4) and lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS), and is responsible for the tear inducing-property and the pungency of fresh onions. We developed tearless, non-pungent onions non-transgenically by irradiating seeds with neon-ion at 20 Gy. The bulbs obtained from the irradiated seeds and their offspring bulbs produced by selfing were screened by organoleptic assessment of tear-inducing property or HPLC analysis of LF production. After repeated screening and seed production by selfing, two tearless, non-pungent bulbs were identified in the third generation (M3) bulbs. Twenty M4 bulbs obtained from each of them showed no tear-inducing property or pungency when evaluated by 20 sensory panelists. The LF production levels in these bulbs were approximately 7.5-fold lower than those of the normal onion. The low LF production levels were due to reduction in alliinase activity, which was a result of low alliinase mRNA expression (less than 1% of that in the normal onion) and consequent low amounts of the alliinase protein. These tearless, non-pungent onions should be welcomed by all who tear while chopping onions and those who work in facilities where fresh onions are processed.
authors.affiliation: Basic Technology Development Division, Central Research &Development Institute, House Foods Group Inc., Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Basic Technology Development Division, Central Research &Development Institute, House Foods Group Inc., Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masamura
authors.affiliation: Basic Technology Development Division, Central Research &Development Institute, House Foods Group Inc., Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Jinji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shono
authors.affiliation: Plant Breeding Institute Co., Ltd., Kuriyama-cho, Hokkaido 069-1511, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisaku
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Basic Technology Development Division, Central Research &Development Institute, House Foods Group Inc., Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D019697:Onions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000528:radiation effects; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D013454:Sulfoxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013666:Tears
chemical_list: C467561:1-propenylcysteine sulfoxide; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013454:Sulfoxides; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; C012059:thiopropanal S-oxide; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C019243:alliin lyase; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C570346:lachrymatory factor synthase, Allium cepa; D003545:Cysteine