The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) in tomato fruits provide health benefits for humans and also play an important role in several aspects of plant life. Although AsA metabolism has been characterized in detail, the genetic mechanisms...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Di Matteo Antonio, Sacco Adriana, Anacleria Milena, Pezzotti Mario, Delledonne Massimo, Ferrarini Alberto, Frusciante Luigi, Barone Amalia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2010-08-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2229/10/163
id doaj-6655514f931b47ccb6507efeebc743e0
record_format Article
spelling doaj-6655514f931b47ccb6507efeebc743e02020-11-24T21:56:12ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292010-08-0110116310.1186/1471-2229-10-163The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradationDi Matteo AntonioSacco AdrianaAnacleria MilenaPezzotti MarioDelledonne MassimoFerrarini AlbertoFrusciante LuigiBarone Amalia<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) in tomato fruits provide health benefits for humans and also play an important role in several aspects of plant life. Although AsA metabolism has been characterized in detail, the genetic mechanisms controlling AsA accumulation in tomatoes are poorly understood. The transcriptional control of AsA levels in fruits can be investigated by combining the advanced genetic and genomic resources currently available for tomato. A comparative transcriptomic analysis of fruit tissues was carried out on an introgression line containing a QTL promoting AsA accumulation in the fruit, using a parental cultivar with lower AsA levels as a reference.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Introgression line IL 12-4 (<it>S. pennellii </it>in a <it>S. lycopersicum </it>background) was selected for transcriptomic analysis because it maintained differences in AsA levels compared to the parental genotypes M82 and <it>S. pennellii </it>over three consecutive trials. Comparative microarray analysis of IL 12-4 and M82 fruits over a 2-year period allowed 253 differentially-expressed genes to be identified, suggesting that AsA accumulation in IL 12-4 may be caused by a combination of increased metabolic flux and reduced utilization of AsA. In particular, the upregulation of a pectinesterase and two polygalacturonases suggests that AsA accumulation in IL12-4 fruit is mainly achieved by increasing flux through the L-galactonic acid pathway, which is driven by pectin degradation and may be triggered by ethylene.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on functional annotation, gene ontology classification and hierarchical clustering, a subset of the 253 differentially-expressed transcripts was used to develop a model to explain the higher AsA content in IL 12-4 fruits in terms of metabolic flux, precursor availability, demand for antioxidants, abundance of reactive oxygen species and ethylene signaling.</p> http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2229/10/163
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Di Matteo Antonio
Sacco Adriana
Anacleria Milena
Pezzotti Mario
Delledonne Massimo
Ferrarini Alberto
Frusciante Luigi
Barone Amalia
spellingShingle Di Matteo Antonio
Sacco Adriana
Anacleria Milena
Pezzotti Mario
Delledonne Massimo
Ferrarini Alberto
Frusciante Luigi
Barone Amalia
The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
BMC Plant Biology
author_facet Di Matteo Antonio
Sacco Adriana
Anacleria Milena
Pezzotti Mario
Delledonne Massimo
Ferrarini Alberto
Frusciante Luigi
Barone Amalia
author_sort Di Matteo Antonio
title The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
title_short The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
title_full The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
title_fullStr The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
title_full_unstemmed The ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
title_sort ascorbic acid content of tomato fruits is associated with the expression of genes involved in pectin degradation
publisher BMC
series BMC Plant Biology
issn 1471-2229
publishDate 2010-08-01
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) in tomato fruits provide health benefits for humans and also play an important role in several aspects of plant life. Although AsA metabolism has been characterized in detail, the genetic mechanisms controlling AsA accumulation in tomatoes are poorly understood. The transcriptional control of AsA levels in fruits can be investigated by combining the advanced genetic and genomic resources currently available for tomato. A comparative transcriptomic analysis of fruit tissues was carried out on an introgression line containing a QTL promoting AsA accumulation in the fruit, using a parental cultivar with lower AsA levels as a reference.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Introgression line IL 12-4 (<it>S. pennellii </it>in a <it>S. lycopersicum </it>background) was selected for transcriptomic analysis because it maintained differences in AsA levels compared to the parental genotypes M82 and <it>S. pennellii </it>over three consecutive trials. Comparative microarray analysis of IL 12-4 and M82 fruits over a 2-year period allowed 253 differentially-expressed genes to be identified, suggesting that AsA accumulation in IL 12-4 may be caused by a combination of increased metabolic flux and reduced utilization of AsA. In particular, the upregulation of a pectinesterase and two polygalacturonases suggests that AsA accumulation in IL12-4 fruit is mainly achieved by increasing flux through the L-galactonic acid pathway, which is driven by pectin degradation and may be triggered by ethylene.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on functional annotation, gene ontology classification and hierarchical clustering, a subset of the 253 differentially-expressed transcripts was used to develop a model to explain the higher AsA content in IL 12-4 fruits in terms of metabolic flux, precursor availability, demand for antioxidants, abundance of reactive oxygen species and ethylene signaling.</p>
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2229/10/163
work_keys_str_mv AT dimatteoantonio theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT saccoadriana theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT anacleriamilena theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT pezzottimario theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT delledonnemassimo theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT ferrarinialberto theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT fruscianteluigi theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT baroneamalia theascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT dimatteoantonio ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT saccoadriana ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT anacleriamilena ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT pezzottimario ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT delledonnemassimo ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT ferrarinialberto ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT fruscianteluigi ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
AT baroneamalia ascorbicacidcontentoftomatofruitsisassociatedwiththeexpressionofgenesinvolvedinpectindegradation
_version_ 1725859096431689728