A Possible Role for Cellulose and Cx-cellulase Activity in Locular Gel Formation in Tomato Fruit

Abstract

Cellulose contents in acetone powders derived from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ‘Sunny’) fruit pericarp and locular gel were measured. In the pericarp, cellulose increased throughout development, whereas Cx-cellulase activity increased during ripening. Locular gel cellulose content was lower than that in pericarp at all developmental stages, increasing through the breaker stage. Beyond the breaker stage, during the terminal period of gel formation, locular gel cellulose decreased. Levels of Cx-cellulase were high in gel tissue, and maximum activity was attained prior to the decrease in gel cellulose indicating that Cx-cellulase and cellulose may be important features of gel formation.