Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016397 | Plant Physiology and Biochemistry | 2011 | 12 Pages |
Hexanal, an inhibitor of phospholipase D, has been successfully applied for the pre- and post-harvest treatment of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Changes in gene expression induced by hexanal and the ethylene antagonist 1-MCP, were analyzed by microarray using TOM2 tomato oligo-array containing approximately 12 000 unigenes. Mature green tomato fruits were treated with 1-MCP and hexanal, RNA isolated after 10 days of storage, and labeled cDNA synthesized for microarray analysis. A large variation in gene expression profile was observed in 1-MCP-treated fruits. Genes for ethylene biosynthetic pathway enzymes such as ACC- synthase/oxidase, ethylene receptor and ethylene response factors were heavily down-regulated in 1-MCP-treated fruits. In addition, genes for key enzymes involved in cell wall degradation and carotenoid development pathways were down-regulated. Hexanal treatment significantly down-regulated ACC-synthase, and to a lesser extent, other components of ethylene signal transduction. By contrast to MCP-treated fruits, hexanal-treated fruits gradually ripened and showed higher levels of lycopene and β-carotene. GC–MS analysis of volatiles showed a higher level of major volatile components in hexanal-treated fruits. Similarities in the modulation of gene expression by hexanal and 1-MCP suggest that hexanal, in addition to being a PLD inhibitor, may also act as a weak ethylene inhibitor.
Research highlights► Hexanal is an inhibitor of phospholipase D and has been successfully applied for the pre- and/post-harvest treatment of fruits, vegetables and flowers. ► Changes in gene expression induced by hexanal were compared with that induced by 1-MCP using TOM2 tomato oligo-array. ► Ethylene biosynthetic pathway genes were heavily down-regulated in the 1-MCP-treated fruits. ► Hexanal treatment down-regulated ACC-synthase. ► Secondary plant product biosynthesis was severely inhibited by 1-MCP reducing quality.