Cell walls consist of polysaccharide assemblies (pectin, hemicelluloses and
cellulose), whose structure and interactions vary depending on fruit genetic,
and its stage and conditions of development. The establishment and the
structural reorganization of the assemblies result from enzyme/protein
consortia acting in muro. The texture of fleshy fruits is one of the major
criteria for consumer choice. It impacts also post-harvest routes and
transformation processes. Disassembly of fruit cell wall polysaccharides
largely induces textural changes during ripening but the precise role of each
polysaccharide and each enzyme remains unclear. The changes of cell wall
polysaccharides during fruit ripening have mainly emphasized a modulation of
the fine chemical structure of pectins by hydrolases, lyases, and esterases.
This restructuring also involves a reorganization of hemicelluloses by
hydrolases/transglycosydases and a modulation of their interactions with the
cellulose by non-catalytic proteins such as expansin. Apple is the third
fruit production in the world and is the subject of studies about fruit
quality. This paper presents some of the results to date about the
enzymes/proteins involved in this fruit ripening with a particular emphasis
on apple.
Cloning of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) gene and the role of ABA on fruit ripening
