Identification of candidate genes for phenolics accumulation in tomato fruit

Phenolics are antioxidants present in tomato fruit that confer healthy benefits and exhibit crucial roles for plant metabolism and response to environmental stimuli. An approach based on two genomics platforms was undertaken to identify candidate genes associated to higher phenolics content in tomato fruit. A comparative transcriptomic analysis between the S. pennellii Introgression Line 7-3, which produced an average higher level of fruit phenolics, and the cultivated variety M82, revealed that their differences are attributed to genes involved in phenolics accumulation into the vacuole. The up-regulation of genes coding for one MATE-transporter, one vacuolar sorting protein and three GSTs supported this hypothesis. The observed balancing effect between two ethylene responsive factors (ERF1 and ERF4) was also hypothesized to drive the transcriptional regulation of these transport genes. In order to confirm such model a TILLING platform was explored. A mutant was isolated harbouring a point mutation in the ERF1 cds that affects the protein sequence and its expected function. Fruits of the mutant exhibited a significant reduced level of phenolics than the control variety. Changes in the expression of genes involved in sequestration of phenolics in vacuole also supported the hypothesized key-role of ERF1 in orchestrating these genes.