Molecular biology of ethylene during tomato fruit development and maturation

Abstract

Important traits for complete ripening and consumer fruit quality preferences include development of aroma, flavor, color, texture, and nutritional quality. These attributes are influenced by the endogenously produced hormone ethylene in many fleshy fruits such as apple, avocado, banana, mango, pear and tomato. Even in species where endogenous ethylene seems to play little if any role as an endogenous regulator, exogenous ethylene will often promote ripening characteristics and can be the target of post-harvest strategies designed to accelerate, synchronize or delay ripening. In recent decades the YANG cycle for ethylene biosynthesis has been revealed and characterized at the molecular level with much of this important work done via the analysis of fruit systems. However, the genetic regulation that controls ethylene production at different developmental stages of fruits has only recently begun to be studied. Tomato has emerged as the primary model plant to further understand the molecular biology that controls ethylene synthesis and additional ripening regulators during fruit development. Here we summarize data pertaining to ethylene biology specifically as related to fruit maturation and including recent insights into genetic control of the ripening process prior to and controlling ethylene.