This work presents novel insights into the expression and function of a chalconsynthase, an O-methyltransferase and a glucosyltransferase, all of which play a role in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in strawberry (Fragaria spp.) during fruit ripening. An antisense phenotype of a ripening related chalconsynthase from Fragaria x ananassa was investigated using analytical methods. In addition, strawberry plants were transformed with an O-methyltransferase gene in sense and antisense direction, whose product is capable of methylating o-diphenols and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone. The resulting transgenic strawberry plants were analyzed for changes in expression level using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) and for changes in secondary metabolites by analytical methods. Finally, after sequencing, cloning and heterologous expression, substrate specifity of a Fragaria x ananassa glucosyltransferase (FaGT2) was tested. FaGT2 expression is ripening-related, peaking in pink fruit. In order to investigate the function of FaGT2 in planta, transgenic strawberry plants were produced and analyzed, containing FaGT2 in either the sense or antisense direction.
«This work presents novel insights into the expression and function of a chalconsynthase, an O-methyltransferase and a glucosyltransferase, all of which play a role in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in strawberry (Fragaria spp.) during fruit ripening. An antisense phenotype of a ripening related chalconsynthase from Fragaria x ananassa was investigated using analytical methods. In addition, strawberry plants were transformed with an O-methyltransferase gene in sense and antisense direc...
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