174 Muskmelon Fruit Soluble Acid Invertase and Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Activity and Polypeptide Profiles during Growth and Maturation

Abstract

Muskmelon [Cucumis melo L. (Reticulatus Group)] fruit sugar content is the single most important consumer preference attribute. During fruit ripening, sucrose accumulates when soluble acid invertase (AI) activity is less then sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity. To genetically heighten fruit sugar content, knowledge of sugar accumulation during fruit development in conjunction with AI and SPS enzyme activities and their peptide immunodetection profiles is needed. Two netted muskmelon cultivars [`Valley Gold' (VG), a high sugar accumulator, and `North Star' (NS), a low sugar accumulator] with similar maturity indices were assayed for fruit sugars, AI, and SPS activity and immunodetection of AI and SPS polypeptides following 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 (abscission) days after anthesis (DAA). Both cultivars, grown in spring and fall, showed similar total sugar accumulation profiles. Total sugars increased 1.5 fold, from 2 through 5 DAA and then remained unchanged until 30 DAA. From 30 DAA until abscission, total sugar content increased, with VG accumulating significantly more sugar then NS. In both cultivars, during both seasons, sucrose was detected at 2 DAA, which coincided with higher SPS activity than AI activity. At 5 through 25 DAA, SPS activity was less then AI activity resulting in little or no sucrose detection. It was not until 30 DAA that SPS activity was greater than AI activity resulting in increased sucrose accumulation. VG at abscission had higher total sugar content and SPS activity and lower AI activity than NS. Total polypeptides from both cultivars 2 through 40 DAA, were immunodetected with antibodies: anti-AI and anti-SPS. NS had Al isoforms bands at 75, 52, 38, and 25 kDa that generally decreased wtih DAA. One isoform at 52 kDa remained detectable up to anthesis (40 DAA) VG had the same four Al isoforms, all decreased with DAA and became undetectable by 20 DAA. It is unclear if one or all AI isoforms correspond with detected enzyme activity. VG and NS had one SPS band at 58 kDa that increased with DAA and concomitantly with SPS activity. VG had a more intense SPS polypeptide band at abscission then did NS. Thus, netted muskmelon sugar accumulation may be increased by selecting for cultivars with a specific number of AI isoforms, which are down-regulated, and with high SPS activity during fruit ripening.