A chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 355; no. 6323; pp. 391 - 394
• Main Authors: Tieman, Denise, Zhu, Guangtao, Resende, Marcio F. R., Lin, Tao, Nguyen, Cuong, Bies, Dawn, Rambla, Jose Luis, Beltran, Kristty Stephanie Ortiz, Taylor, Mark, Zhang, Bo, Ikeda, Hiroki, Liu, Zhongyuan, Fisher, Josef, Zemach, Itay, Monforte, Antonio, Zamir, Dani, Granell, Antonio, Kirst, Matias, Huang, Sanwen, Klee, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 27.01.2017; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Alleles; Carbohydrates - genetics; Chemicals; Chromosomes, Plant - genetics; Consumption; DNA Shuffling; Flavors; Flavours; Gene sequencing; Genes; Genetic Loci; Genetics; Genome-wide association studies; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomes; Genomic analysis; Ketones - chemistry; Loci; Lycopersicon esculentum; Lycopersicon esculentum - chemistry; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Panels; Plant Breeding; Sugar; Taste; Tomatoes; Volatile compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - chemistry; Volatiles
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aal1556

Modern commercial tomato varieties are substantially less flavorful than heirloom varieties. To understand and ultimately correct this deficiency, we quantified flavor-associated chemicals in 398 modern, heirloom, and wild accessions. A subset of these accessions was evaluated in consumer panels, identifying the chemicals that made the most important contributions to flavor and consumer liking. We found that modern commercial varieties contain significantly lower amounts of many of these important flavor chemicals than older varieties. Whole-genome sequencing and a genome-wide association study permitted identification of genetic loci that affect most of the target flavor chemicals, including sugars, acids, and volatiles. Together, these results provide an understanding of the flavor deficiencies in modern commercial varieties and the information necessary for the recovery of good flavor through molecular breeding.