Sucrose functions as a signal involved in the regulation of strawberry fruit development and ripening

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 198; no. 2; pp. 453 - 465
• Main Authors: Jia, Haifeng, Wang, Yuanhua, Sun, Mingzhu, Li, Bingbing, Han, Yu, Zhao, Yanxia, Li, Xingliang, Ding, Ning, Li, Chen, Ji, Wenlong, Jia, Wensuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England New Phytologist Trust 01.04.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Abscisic acid; abscisic acid (ABA); Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Accumulation; Analogs; Biosynthesis; Crosses, Genetic; Fragaria - drug effects; Fragaria - genetics; Fragaria - growth & development; Fragaria - metabolism; Fragaria ananassa; Fruit - drug effects; Fruit - genetics; Fruit - growth & development; Fruit - metabolism; fruit development and ripening; Fruiting; Fruits; Gene expression; Gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Genes; Genes, Plant - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics; Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plants; Ripening; RNA; RNA Interference - drug effects; RNA-mediated interference; signal; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - genetics; Strawberries; strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa); Sucrose; Sucrose - metabolism; Sucrose - pharmacology; sucrose transporter; Sugars
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.12176

Fleshy fruits are classically divided into climacteric and nonclimacteric types. It has long been thought that the ripening of climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits is regulated by ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA), respectively. Here, we report that sucrose functions as a signal in the ripening of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), a nonclimacteric fruit. Pharmacological experiments, as well as gain- and loss-of-function studies, were performed to demonstrate the critical role of sucrose in the regulation of fruit ripening. Fruit growth and development were closely correlated with a change in sucrose content. Exogenous sucrose and its nonmetabolizable analog, turanose, induced ABA accumulation in fruit and accelerated dramatically fruit ripening. A set of sucrose transporters, FaSUT1–7, was identified and characterized, among which FaSUT1 was found to be a major component responsible for sucrose accumulation during fruit development. RNA interference-induced silencing of FaSUT1 led to a decrease in both sucrose and ABA content, and arrested fruit ripening. By contrast, overexpression of FaSUT1 led to an increase in both sucrose and ABA content, and accelerated fruit ripening. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that sucrose is an important signal in the regulation of strawberry fruit ripening.