Spanish researchers determined a key gene involved in the control of strawberry ripening

Researchers of the Institute for Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture La Mayora (IHSM) in Spain, identified the gene involved in the control of strawberry ripening, a factor that influences the quality of the berry.

Unlike other crops, strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit and this implies its collection and transport at the optimum level of maturity. This reduces its postharvest life and leads to loss of properties such as color, texture and flavor in a short time.

In the research they have determined and characterized the protein FaRIF (Ripening Inducing Factor).

It was identified that this protein increased its levels in strawberries during ripening in an extraordinary way.

Having identified the protein FaRIF, there were generated plants with its decreased or increased levels, which caused a delay or acceleration of maturation, respectively. The fruits of these plants that had altered FaRIF levels showed alterations in the degree of softening of the fruit, in its pigmentation, and in the accumulation of sugars, evidencing the importance of FaRIF as a maturation regulator.

Therefore, it is an essential regulator for the control of strawberry ripening. Thanks to the identification of FaRIF and its role in the ripening of the berry, these levels can be adjusted to accelerate or delay ripening process, which makes it possible to improve the quality and postharvest life of the strawberry.

This research lasted 8 years and was developed by the IHSM researchers of the IFAPA center in Churriana, the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany, and Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research of Cornell University, USA.

This research was published in The Plant Cell magazine. David Posé, the IHSM researcher, has headed the research, along with professor Victoriano Valpuesta. Carmen Martín Pizarro, the IHSM scientist, was the main person in charge of this article, supported by María Urrutia, Victoriano Meco, Sonia Osorio, José G. Vallarino, Catharina Merchante, and Miguel Ángel Botella. 

source: agrodiariohuelva.es

photo: ppfam.com