Genetic improvement of tomato by targeted control of fruit softening

Uluisik, Selman; Chapman, Natalie H.; Smith, Rebecca; Poole, Mervin; Adams, Gary; Gillis, Richard B.; Besong, Tabot D.; Sheldon, Judith; Stiegelmeyer, Suzy; Perez, Laura; Samsulrizi, Narul; Wang, Duoduo; Fisk, Ian D.; Yang, Ni; Baxter, Charles; Rickett, Daniel; Fray, Rupert; Blanco-Ulate, Barbara; Powell, Ann L.T.; Harding, Stephen E.; Craigon, Jim; Rose, Jocelyn K.C.; Fich, Eric A.; Sun, Li; Domozych, David S.; Fraser, Paul D.; Tucker, Gregory A.; Grierson, Don; Seymour, Graham B.

Abstract

Controlling the rate of softening to extend shelf life was a key target for researchers engineering genetically modified (GM) tomatoes in the 1990s, but only modest improvements were achieved. Hybrids grown nowadays contain 'non-ripening mutations' that slow ripening and improve shelf life, but adversely affect flavor and color. We report substantial, targeted control of tomato softening, without affecting other aspects of ripening, by silencing a gene encoding a pectate lyase.

Citation

Uluisik, S., Chapman, N. H., Smith, R., Poole, M., Adams, G., Gillis, R. B., …Seymour, G. B. (2016). Genetic improvement of tomato by targeted control of fruit softening. Nature Biotechnology, 34, 950-952. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3602

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 11, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 25, 2016
• Publication Date: Sep 14, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 27, 2016
• Journal: Nature Biotechnology
• Print ISSN: 1087-0156
• Electronic ISSN: 1546-1696
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Pages: 950-952
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3602
• Keywords: agricultural genetics, molecular engineering in plants
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/817911
• Publisher URL: http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nbt.3602.html