Melon, an alternative model plant for elucidating fruit ripening

Abstract

Ethylene perception has been studied using Arabidopsis and tomato as model plants during last two decades. Arabidopsis has been an ideal model system for gene identification and subsequent functional analysis of the identified gene. On the other hand, tomato is not only the model of choice to study climacteric fruit ripening but also crops of agronomic importance and hence has been at the forefront of the comparative analysis with Arabidopsis. A number of fruit development and ripening studies in melon has been conducted by many laboratories in the last decade, leading to the accumulation of a great deal of information. These include genetic transformation techniques, isolation of related genes, physiological information and genetics resources. The information accumulated has enabled melon to carve a niche for itself as an alternative model system for fruit for studies. In addition, International Cucurbit Genomics Initiative (ICuGI) was launched 2005, in which melon became a model species in Cucurbit genomics research. In next decade, genomic resources including large collection of ESTs, precise maps and so on will be gathered, indicating that melon will be an alternative model plant for studying fruit ripening in addition to ethylene perception and signaling. In this review, we will summarize the information accumulated so far and discuss the perspectives.

The fading distinctions between classical patterns of ripening in climacteric and non-climacteric fruit and the ubiquity of ethylene—An overview

“…This therefore indicates the existence of different and complex genetic regulation of the climacteric character . In view of the enormous amount of information that has been already accumulated, melon have been suggested as an alternative model system for studying fruit ripening, ethylene perception and signaling in addition to the study material to unraveling the basis of the differences between climacteric and non-climacteric fruit (Ezura and Owino 2008).…”

Genome-Wide Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of the ERF Gene Family in Melon

“…In addition, melon fruits also have significant variations in ripening physiology and are categorized as climacteric or nonclimacteric, based on their ripening-related respiration rate and ethylene evolution profiles (Giovannoni 2007). Melon fruit is a potential alternative model to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for studies of fleshy fruit ripening (Ezura and Owino 2008;Giovannoni 2007).…”

RNA‐Seq Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Differentially Expressed Genes Involved in Sex Expression in Melon

“…In cucumber (Cucumis sativus), the major sex expression gene has been isolated (Li et al, 2009). Investigations into the genetic interactions between CmW1P1 and CmACS-7 have indicated that floral sex determination is a complex process involving multiple events (Ezura Owino, 2008). The a/A gene (CmACS-7) encodes an ethylene biosynthesis enzyme CmACS-7 that represses stamen development in female flowers.…”