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.
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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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