Abstract
UNLABELLED: It is known that fruit ripening is a genetically programmed event but it is not entirely clear what metabolic cue(s) stimulate the onset of ripening, ethylene action notwithstanding. Here, we examined the conjecture that fruit ripening might be evoked by an autonomously induced decrease in tissue water status. We found decline in water content occurring at the onset of ripening in climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit, suggesting that this phenomenon might be universal. This decline in water content persisted throughout the ripening process in some fruit, whereas in others it reversed during the progression of the ripening process. Applied ethylene also induced a decrease in water content in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers. In ethylene-mutant tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit (antisense to1-aminocyclopropane carboxylate synthase), cold-induced decline in water content stimulated onset of ripening processes apparently independently of ethylene action, suggesting cause-and-effect relationship between decreasing water content and onset of ripening. The decline in tissue water content, occurring naturally or induced by ethylene, was strongly correlated with a decrease in hydration (swelling) efficacy of cell wall preparations suggesting that hydration dynamics of cell walls might account for changes in tissue moisture content. Extent of cell wall swelling was, in turn, related to the degree of oxidative cross-linking of wall-bound phenolic acids, suggesting that oxidant-induced wall restructuring might mediate cell wall and, thus, fruit tissue hydration status. We propose that oxidant-induced cell wall remodeling and consequent wall dehydration might evoke stress signaling for the onset of ripening processes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study suggests that decline in fruit water content is an early event in fruit ripening. This information may be used to gauge fruit maturity for appropriate harvest date and for processing. Control of fruit hydration state might be used to regulate the onset of fruit ripening.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Water content declined at the onset of ripening in both climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit.
Verbatim
e0“We found decline in water content occurring at the onset of ripening in climacteric and nonclimacteric fruit”
Claim · model-written summary
The decline in water content persisted through ripening in some fruit but reversed during ripening in others.
Verbatim
e0“This decline in water content persisted throughout the ripening process in some fruit, whereas in others it reversed during the progression of the ripening process”
Claim · model-written summary
Applied ethylene induced a decrease in water content in potato tubers.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosume0 - Organ / stage
- tuberse0
- Treatment
- Applied ethylenee0
- Outcome
- water contente0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Applied ethylene also induced a decrease in water content in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers”
Claim · model-written summary
In ethylene-mutant tomato fruit, a decline in water content induced by cold stimulated the onset of ripening apparently independently of ethylene action.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Organ / stage
- fruite0
- Treatment
- decline in water contente1
- Outcome
- onset of ripening processese1
- Direction
- stimulatede1
- Qualifier
- apparently independently of ethylene actione1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit”
e1“decline in water content stimulated onset of ripening processes apparently independently of ethylene action”
Claim · model-written summary
The decline in tissue water content, natural or ethylene-induced, correlated strongly with a decrease in hydration (swelling) efficacy of cell wall preparations.
- Treatment
- ethylenee0
- Outcome
- decline in tissue water contente0
- Qualifier
- decrease in hydration (swelling) efficacy of cell wall preparationse0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“The decline in tissue water content, occurring naturally or induced by ethylene, was strongly correlated with a decrease in hydration (swelling) efficacy of cell wall preparations”
Claim · model-written summary
The extent of cell wall swelling was related to the degree of oxidative cross-linking of wall-bound phenolic acids.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“Extent of cell wall swelling was, in turn, related to the degree of oxidative cross-linking of wall-bound phenolic acids”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose that oxidant-induced cell wall remodeling and consequent wall dehydration might evoke stress signaling for the onset of ripening.
- Outcome
- onset of ripening processese0
- Qualifier
- oxidant-induced cell wall remodeling and consequent wall dehydratione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“oxidant-induced cell wall remodeling and consequent wall dehydration might evoke stress signaling for the onset of ripening processes”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest that information on the decline in fruit water content may be used to gauge fruit maturity for harvest date and processing.
Verbatim
e0“This information may be used to gauge fruit maturity for appropriate harvest date and for processing”
Claim · model-written summary
Control of fruit hydration state might be used to regulate the onset of fruit ripening.
Verbatim
e0“Control of fruit hydration state might be used to regulate the onset of fruit ripening”