A5057392155- Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life Management
- Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
- Plant Gene Expression Analysis
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- Pineapple and bromelain studies
- Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Banana Cultivation and Research
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Berry genetics and cultivation research
- GABA and Rice Research
- Plant and animal studies
- Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Agricultural Practices and Plant Genetics
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
University of Florida
2015-2024
Cornell University
2009-2024
University of Georgia
2024
University of Massachusetts Amherst
2024
Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen
2017
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
2017
U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory
1999-2017
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
2010
Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health
2009-2010
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2010
Modern commercial tomato varieties are substantially less flavorful than heirloom varieties. To understand and ultimately correct this deficiency, we quantified flavor-associated chemicals in 398 modern, heirloom, wild accessions. A subset of these accessions was evaluated consumer panels, identifying the that made most important contributions to flavor liking. We found modern contain significantly lower amounts many older Whole-genome sequencing a genome-wide association study permitted...
An important phenylalanine-derived volatile compound produced by plants is 2-phenylethanol. It a major contributor to flavor in many foods, including fresh fruits, such as tomato, and an insect-attracting scent roses other flowers. Despite the centrality of 2-phenylethanol fragrance, plant genes responsible for its synthesis have not been identified. Here, we describe biosynthetic pathway volatiles tomato fruits small family decarboxylases (LeAADC1A, LeAADC1B, LeAADC2) that can mediate...
Summary Fruit ripening in tomato requires the coordination of both developmental cues and phytohormone ethylene. The multigene ethylene receptor family has been shown to negatively regulate signal transduction suppress responses. Here we demonstrate that reduction levels either two members, LeETR4 or LeETR6 , causes an early‐ripening phenotype. We provide evidence receptors are rapidly degraded presence ethylene, degradation probably occurs through 26S proteasome‐dependent pathway. Ethylene...
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and its wild relatives harbor genetic diversity that yields heritable variation in fruit chemistry could be exploited to identify genes regulating their synthesis accumulation. Carotenoids, for example, are essential plant animal nutrition, the visual indicators of ripening many fruits, including tomato. Whereas carotenoid is well characterized, factors flux through pathway poorly understood at molecular level. To exploit impact tomato on carotenoids, pennellii...
Fresh strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) are valued for their characteristic red color, juicy texture, distinct aroma, and sweet fruity flavor. In this study, genetic environmentally induced variation is exploited to capture biochemically diverse strawberry fruit metabolite profiling consumer rating. Analyses identify attributes influencing hedonics sensory perception of using a psychophysics approach. Sweetness intensity, flavor texture liking dependent on sugar concentrations, specific...
Significance Cold storage is widely used to extend shelf-life of agriculture products. For tomato, this handling results in reduced flavor quality. Our work provides major insights into the effects chilling on consumer liking, metabolome and transcriptome, as well DNA methylation status. Transcripts for some key volatile synthesis enzymes most important ripening-associated transcription factors are greatly response chilling. These reductions accompanied by changes status promoter regions....
The process of plant domestication is often protracted, involving underexplored intermediate stages with important implications for the evolutionary trajectories traits. Previously, tomato history has been thought to involve two major transitions: one from wild Solanum pimpinellifolium L. a semidomesticated intermediate, S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (SLC) in South America, and second transition SLC fully domesticated Mesoamerica. In this study, we employ population genomic methods...
Although they are staple foods in cuisines globally, many commercial fruit varieties have become progressively less flavorful over time. Due to the cost and difficulty associated with flavor phenotyping, breeding programs long been challenged selecting for this complex trait. To address issue, we leveraged targeted metabolomics of diverse tomato blueberry accessions their corresponding consumer panel ratings create statistical machine learning models that can predict sensory perceptions...
The plant hormone ethylene is involved in many developmental processes, including fruit ripening, abscission, senescence, and leaf epinasty. Tomato contains a family of receptors, designated LeETR1, LeETR2, NR, LeETR4, LeETR5, with homology to the Arabidopsis ETR1 receptor. Transgenic plants reduced LeETR4 gene expression display multiple symptoms extreme sensitivity, severe epinasty, enhanced flower accelerated ripening. Therefore, negative regulator responses. Reduced this single affects...
Summary Ethylene perception in plants is co‐ordinated by multiple hormone receptor candidates sharing sequence commonalties with prokaryotic environmental sensor proteins known as two‐component regulators. Two tomato homologs of the Arabidopsis ethylene ETR1 were cloned from a root cDNA library. Both cDNAs, termed LeETR1 and LeETR2 , highly homologous to exhibiting ∼ 90% deduced amino acid similarity 80% identity. contained all major structural elements regulators, including response...
Pectin methylesterase (PME, EC 3.1.11) demethoxylates pectins and is believed to be involved in degradation of pectic cell wall components by polygalacturonase ripening tomato fruit. We have introduced antisense sense chimeric PME genes into elucidate the role fruit development ripening. Fruits from transgenic plants expressing high levels RNA showed <10% wild-type enzyme activity undetectable protein mRNA. Lower fruits was associated with an increased molecular weight methylesterification...
Summary The plant hormone ethylene regulates many aspects of growth, development and responses to the environment. Arabidopsis ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) protein is a nuclear‐localized component signal‐transduction pathway with DNA‐binding activity. Loss‐of‐function mutations in this result insensitivity Arabidopsis. To gain better understanding tomato, we have identified three homologs EIN3 gene ( LeEIL s). Each these genes complemented ein3‐1 mutation transgenic Arabidopsis, indicating...
Fresh tomato fruit flavour is the sum of interaction between sugars, acids, and a set approximately 30 volatile compounds synthesized from diverse precursors, including amino lipids, carotenoids. Some these volatiles impart desirable qualities while others are negatively perceived. As first step to identify genes responsible for synthesis flavour-related chemicals, an attempt was made loci that influence chemical composition ripe fruits. A genetically but well-defined Solanum pennellii IL...
Abstract Although ethylene regulates a wide range of defense-related genes, its role in plant defense varies greatly among different plant-microbe interactions. We compared ethylene's response to virulent and avirulent strains Xanthomonas campestrispv. vesicatoria tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The ethylene-insensitive Never ripe (Nr) mutant displays increased tolerance the strain, while maintaining resistance strain. Expression receptor genes NR andLeETR4 was induced by infection...
The phytohormone ethylene regulates many aspects of plant growth, development, and environmental responses. Much the developmental regulation responses in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) occurs at level hormone sensitivity. In an effort to understand responses, we isolated characterized genes with sequence similarity Arabidopsis ETR1 (ethylene response 1) receptor. Previously, three that exhibit high each other. Here report isolation two additional genes, LeETR4 LeETR5, are only 42% 40%...
Pectin methylesterase (PME, EC 3.1.1.11) is an ubiquitous enzyme in the plant kingdom; however, its role growth and development not yet understood. Using transgenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruits that show more than 10-fold reduction PME activity because of expression antisense gene, we have investigated fruit ripening. Our results reduced causes almost complete loss tissue integrity during senescence but shows little effect on firmness Low pericarp modified both accumulation...
The unique flavour of a tomato fruit is the sum complex interaction among sugars, acids, and large set volatile compounds. While it generally acknowledged that commercially produced tomatoes inferior, biochemical genetic complexity trait has made breeding for improved extremely difficult. volatiles, in particular, present major challenge improvement, being generated from diverse lipid, amino acid, carotenoid precursors. Very few genes controlling their biosynthesis have been identified. New...
C5 volatile compounds, derived from fatty acids, are among the most important contributors to consumer liking of fresh tomatoes. Despite their roles in flavour, genes responsible for synthesis have yet be identified. This work shows that is catalysed part by a 13-lipoxygenase (LOX), TomloxC, same enzyme C6 volatiles. independent hydroperoxide lyase (HPL); moreover, HPL knockdown significantly increased synthesis. LOX-dependent, HPL-independent pathway functions both fruits and leaves....
Abstract BACKGROUND: Tomatoes contain high levels of several carotenoids including lycopene and β‐carotene. Beyond their functions as colorants nutrients, are precursors for important volatile flavor compounds. In order to assess the importance apocarotenoid volatiles in perception acceptability, we conducted sensory evaluations near‐isogenic carotenoid biosynthetic mutants parent, Ailsa Craig. RESULTS: The contents these tomatoes were extremely low r mutant, increased old gold , higher...
Abstract The information and resources generated from diverse “omics” technologies provide opportunities for producing novel biological knowledge. It is essential to integrate various kinds of large-scale omics data sets through systematic analysis in order describe understand complex phenomena. For this purpose, we have developed a Web-based system, Plant MetGenMAP, which can comprehensively analyze gene expression metabolite profile along with information. Using significantly altered...