scholarly journals Cell Wall Metabolism in Ripening Fruit (VII. Biologically Active Pectin Oligomers in Ripening Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Fruits)

1994 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Melotto ◽  
L. C. Greve ◽  
J. M. Labavitch
1987 ◽  
Vol 245 (2) ◽  
pp. 463-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
G B Seymour ◽  
S E Harding

The cell-wall structures of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) and other fruit are intimately linked with the nature of their polyuronides. Cell-wall polyuronides from unripe and ripe tomato fruit were isolated and purified and their molecular size and molecular-size distributions were compared. It was demonstrated that there is a considerable decrease in the weight-average Mr upon ripening (from 160,000 +/- 10,000 to 96,000 +/- 4000) and a corresponding increase in polydispersity, particularly at the low-Mr end of the distribution. The estimates of polyuronide molecular size and molecular-size distribution were obtained without the need for polyuronide standards of known Mr by using gel-filtration chromatography combined with the absolute method of low-speed sedimentation equilibrium.


HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1083e-1083
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Mitcham ◽  
Kenneth C. Gross ◽  
Timothy J Ng

Cell wall synthesis during development and ripening of `Rutgers', rin and nor tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit was quantified by monitoring incorporation of 14C into outer pericarp cell walls after pedicel injection of (U-14C) - sucrose. Fruit color (Hunter “a” and “b” values) and firmness (Instron) were also monitored. 14C-Incorporation continued throughout development and ripening in `Rutgers' cell walls and exhibited a transient increase from late maturegreen to the turning stage. Incorporation of 14C into cell walls of rin pericarp tissue was similar to `Rutgers' at 20 days pest-anthesls (DPA) (immature-green) but decreased to a level similar to red `Rutgers' fruit by 35 DPA. Incorporation of 14C into nor pericarp cell walls was low throughout the experimental period (20 to 75 DPA). In contrast to previous reports, rin and nor pericarp tissue exhibitad a decrease in firmness of the outer pericarp. However, the rate of softening was slower than in `Rutgers'. Pericarp tissue from rin and nor fruit at 70 and 75 DPA, respectively, resisted compression as much as pink `Rutgers' pericarp tissue.


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