Fruit ripening mutants
Tomato is arguably the best genetic model to study fleshy climacteric fruits. Information from tomato fruit development can be extrapolated to other important tropical (banana, avocado, mango and papaya) and temperate (apple, peach and pear) fruits. Tomato fruit ripening mutants harbor alterations in genes coding for enzymes (chlorophyllase, polygalacturonase and pectinesterase) or transcription factors (MADbox, NAC, SPL) important for events in ripening (chlorophyll degradation, tissue softening, and pigment and sugar accumulation). Mutations affecting ethylene metabolism or sensitivity are also a source of ripening alterations. Please click on the name of each mutant to obtain information about its molecular identity (gene function, if known) and phenotype (gene effect of a given allele).