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. 2013 Jun 17;23(12):1094-100.
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.072. Epub 2013 May 23.

Anthocyanins double the shelf life of tomatoes by delaying overripening and reducing susceptibility to gray mold

Yang Zhang  1 , Eugenio Butelli, Rosalba De Stefano, Henk-Jan Schoonbeek, Andreas Magusin, Chiara Pagliarani, Nikolaus Wellner, Lionel Hill, Diego Orzaez, Antonio Granell, Jonathan D G Jones, Cathie Martin
Affiliations

Anthocyanins double the shelf life of tomatoes by delaying overripening and reducing susceptibility to gray mold

Yang Zhang et al. Curr Biol. .

Abstract

Shelf life is an important quality trait for many fruit, including tomatoes. We report that enrichment of anthocyanin, a natural pigment, in tomatoes can significantly extend shelf life. Processes late in ripening are suppressed by anthocyanin accumulation, and susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, one of the most important postharvest pathogens, is reduced in purple tomato fruit. We show that reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea is dependent specifically on the accumulation of anthocyanins, which alter the spreading of the ROS burst during infection. The increased antioxidant capacity of purple fruit likely slows the processes of overripening. Enhancing the levels of natural antioxidants in tomato provides a novel strategy for extending shelf life by genetic engineering or conventional breeding. VSports手机版.

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Figures

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Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
Accumulation of Anthocyanins in Tomato Fruit Delays Late Ripening and Decreases Pathogen Susceptibility (A) Wild-type, red (i and ii) and transgenic, purple (iii and iv) tomato fruits were tagged during the initial stages of development and harvested and photographed at the end of the green stage (i and iii). The same fruit, stored at room temperature, was rephotographed after 2 months (ii and iv). The scale bar represents 2 cm. (B) Severe symptoms of opportunistic infection normally associated with overripe red, wild-type tomato fruit on the vine (left) were not observed in purple, Del/Ros1 tomato fruit of the same age grown under identical greenhouse conditions (right). The scale bar represents 2 cm. (C) Purple fruit showed slower softening as determined by visual inspection compared to wild-type, red fruit. Percentages of fruit showing overripening symptoms were assessed every week during storage tests. Error bars show the SEM (n = 4). Fruits were harvested at 14 days postbreaker (d0 = 14 dpb). (D) Texture strength changes in MicroTom and Del/Ros1 fruits during storage tests. Average values were calculated for at least eight individual fruits, and error bars indicate the SEM. (E) Symptoms of wounded red and purple fruits after inoculation with B. cinerea B05.10. White dots represent the lesion margins. (F) Quantitative PCR revealed more Botrytis growing on the WT tomatoes than on purple fruit, 3 dpi. Botrytis growth was calculated by comparison of the ratio of Botrytis DNA to tomato DNA. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05 compared to control red tomato. (G) The ripening-related increase in susceptibility to Botrytis did not occur in purple fruit. Lesion diameter was measured 3 dpi. Error bars show the SEM (n ≥ 3). The scale bar represents 2 cm. ∗p < 0.05 and ∗∗p < 0.01 for values for purple tomatoes compared to red tomatoes at the same stage. See also Figures S1 and S2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Delayed Ripening and Reduced Pathogen Susceptibility Are Associated with the Accumulation of Anthocyanins, and Expression of Ripening-Related Genes Is Suppressed in Purple Tomatoes (A) VIGS-Del/Ros1tomato fruits showed reduced accumulation of anthocyanins in silenced areas (i, pictures taken 14 days after breaker). The red sectors showed quicker softening than purple sectors (ii, pictures taken 42 days after breaker). Purple sectors showed reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea 3 dpi (iii). Red sectors of VIGS-silenced tomatoes were more susceptible to B. cinerea 3 dpi (iv). All scale bars represent 2 cm. (B) VIGS-Del/Ros1 silenced sectors had reduced hydrophilic antioxidant capacity compared to purple sectors. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). S, silenced sectors; NS, nonsilenced sectors. ∗p < 0.05 and ∗∗p < 0.01 compared to the WT. (C and D) Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of genes encoding cell-wall-modifying enzymes in WT and Del/Ros1 fruits during ripening. Polygalacturonase 2a (SlPG2a) (C) and β-galactosidase 4 (SlTBG4) (D) are shown. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). (E and F) Total polygalacturonase (E) and β-galactosidase (F) activities in red and purple fruit at different stages during ripening. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05 and ∗∗p < 0.01 compared to the WT at the same stage. See also Figure S3, Table S1, and Data Set S1.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Inhibition of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Purple Tomatoes Alters Susceptibility to Botrytis and Postharvest Storage (A) VIGS-SlDFR silenced sectors had increased susceptibility to B. cinerea compared to nonsilenced sectors on the same fruit. Pictures were taken at 3 dpi. White dots indicate lesion sizes. Scale bars represent 2 cm. (B) The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of VIGS-SlDFR-silenced sectors was lower than that of nonsilenced sectors, although still higher than that of WT fruit due to the accumulation of flavonols. Error bars show the SEM, n = 3. ∗∗p < 0.01 for differences in TEAC values of hydrophilic extracts of silenced and nonsilenced tissues. (C) Storage tests indicate VIGS-SlDFR-silenced fruit can be kept for longer than WT fruit but for less time than nonsilenced purple fruit. Fruits were harvested 2 weeks after breaker, and the times to show overripening symptoms (visual rotting and collapse of fruit) were recorded. Error bars show the SEM, n = 7. ∗∗p < 0.01 compared with WT, red fruit. (D) High levels of flavonols accumulate in aw−/−Del/Ros1 F2 tomato fruit obtained by crossing Del/Ros1MicroTom with aw−/− (DFR–) mutants. The orange, flavonols-enriched tomato (left) was more susceptible to B. cinerea. Pictures were taken at 3 dpi. White dots show lesion boundries. Scale bars represent 2 cm. (E) Comparisons of antioxidant capacities of aw−/−,aw−/−Del/Ros1and Del/Ros1fruit. Error bars show the SEM, n = 3. Solid bars show hydrophilic antioxidant capacity, and open bars show lipophilic antioxidant capacity. ∗∗p < 0.01 compared with parental aw−/− fruit. (F) aw−/−Del/Ros1 fruit had a longer shelf life than parental aw−/− fruit but a shorter shelf life than Del/Ros1 fruit. Times (after breaker) for fruit to show overripening symptoms (visual rotting and collapse of fruit) were recorded. Error bars show the SEM, n = 10. ∗∗p < 0.01 compared with parental aw−/− fruit. See also Figure S4.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Extended Shelf Life in Purple Tomatoes Is Associated with Their High Antioxidant Capacity (A) Malondialdehyde levels in pericarp of red and purple Microtom fruit during ripening. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05 compared with WT, red fruit at same stage (B) Trolox equivalent total antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of water extracts from red and purple tomatoes during ripening. Error bars show the SEM (n = 3). ∗p < 0.05 and ∗∗p < 0.01 in comparison to WT, red fruit at the same stages. (C) Addition of juice from either red or purple tomatoes to the growth medium had no effect on growth of B. cinerea. PDA medium (i), PDA with 15 mg/liter Triademinol (an inhibitor of fungal growth) (ii), PDA supplemented with 50% red juice (iii), and PDA supplemented with 50% purple juice (iv) are shown. Pictures were taken 3 days after plate inoculation. Scale bars represent 2 cm. (D) 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining of hydrogen peroxide produced 24 hr after inoculation of B. cinerea: red (i) and purple (ii) fruits stained with DAB, 24 hr after inoculation, wound only red (iii) and purple (iv) fruit stained 24 hr after wounding. Scale bars represent 1 mm. (E) The levels of ROS in red and purple tomatoes were altered by infiltration of a water control, 10 mM diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI, ROS inhibitor), or 50 units/ml glucose oxidase plus 1% glucose (G+GO, ROS inducer). Fruits were wounded and infiltrated 1 hr prior to B. cinerea inoculation. Pictures were taken 3 dpi. White dotted lines represent lesion margin. All scale bars represent 2 cm. (F) Model for the mechanism of shelf life extension in purple, high-anthocyanin tomatoes.
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