Endogenous cytokinin in developing kiwifruit is implicated in maintaining fruit flesh chlorophyll levels.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) retain high concentrations of chlorophyll in the fruit flesh, whereas in gold-fleshed kiwifruit (A. chinensis) chlorophyll is degraded to colourless catabolites during fruit development, leaving yellow carotenoids visible. The plant hormone group the cytokinins has been implicated in the delay of senescence, and so the aim of this work was to investigate the link between cytokinin levels in ripening fruit and chlorophyll de-greening.

Methods

The expression of genes related to cytokinin metabolism and signal transduction and the concentration of cytokinin metabolites were measured. The regulation of gene expression was assayed using transient activation of the promoter of STAY-GREEN2 (SGR2) by cytokinin response regula

SUBMITTER: Pilkington SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3690984 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature