Abstract
Ripe tomato fruits accumulate significant amounts of the linear carotene lycopene, but only trace amounts of xanthophylls (oxygenated carotenoids). We overexpressed the lycopene beta-cyclase (b-Lcy) and beta-carotene hydroxylase (b-Chy) genes under the control of the fruit-specific Pds promoter. Transgene and protein expression was followed through semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting, and enzyme assays. Fruits of the transformants showed a significant increase of beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin. The carotenoid composition of leaves remained unaltered. The transgenes and the phenotype are inherited in a dominant Mendelian fashion. This is the first example of successful metabolic engineering of xanthophyll content in tomato fruits.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Arabidopsis / genetics
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Blotting, Western
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Cryptoxanthins
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Fruit / chemistry
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Fruit / metabolism
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Gene Expression
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Genes, Dominant
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Genetic Engineering / methods*
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Intramolecular Lyases / genetics*
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Intramolecular Lyases / metabolism
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Mixed Function Oxygenases / genetics*
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Mixed Function Oxygenases / metabolism
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Phenotype
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Plant Leaves / chemistry
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Plant Leaves / metabolism
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Plants, Genetically Modified
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Solanum lycopersicum / chemistry
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Solanum lycopersicum / genetics*
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Solanum lycopersicum / metabolism*
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Transgenes
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Xanthophylls / analysis
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Xanthophylls / metabolism*
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Zeaxanthins
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beta Carotene / analogs & derivatives*
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beta Carotene / analysis
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beta Carotene / metabolism
Substances
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Cryptoxanthins
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Xanthophylls
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Zeaxanthins
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beta Carotene
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Mixed Function Oxygenases
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beta-carotene hydroxylase
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Intramolecular Lyases
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lycopene cyclase-isomerase