Genetic modification of tomato with the tobacco lycopene β-cyclase gene produces high β-carotene and lycopene fruit

Ralley Louise, Wolfgang Schuch, Paul Fraser, Peter Bramley

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Abstract

Transgenic Solanum lycopersicum plants expressing an additional copy of lycopene β–cyclase (LCYB) from Nicotiana tabacum, under the control of the Arabidopsis polyubiquitin promoter (UBQ3), have been generated. Expression of LCYB was increased some 10-fold in ripening fruit compared to vegetative tissues. The ripe fruit showed an orange pigmentation, due to increased levels (up to 5-fold) of β–carotene, with negligible changes to other carotenoids, including lycopene. Phenotypic changes in carotenoids were found in vegetative tissues, but levels of biosynthetically related isoprenoids such as tocopherols, ubiquinone and plastoquinone were barely altered. Transformants showed tolerance to the bleaching herbicide β–cyclase inhibitor, 2-(4-chlorophenylthio) triethylamine. The phenotype was inherited for at least 3 generations.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)295–301
Number of pages7
JournalZeitschrift für Naturforschung C
Volume71
Issue number9-10
Early online date3 Aug 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2016

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