Favorable effects of the weak ethylene receptor mutation Sletr1-2 on postharvest fruit quality changes in tomatoes

Tomatoes with a prolonged fruit shelf life and improved postharvest quality would be an attractive commodity for both breeders and consumers. A weak allele of the tomato ethylene receptor mutant Sletr1-2 elicits an extended fruit shelf life without prominent undesirable pleiotropic effects. In this study, we elucidate the influences of the Sletr1-2 mutation on alterations of the postharvest fruit quality of Sletr1-2 F1 hybrid lines from four different pure-line cultivar parents. The changes in the compositions of metabolic compounds, including sugars, organic acids and amino acids, over 30 days of postharvest storage have been evaluated. The Sletr1-2 mutation significantly affected the postharvest fruit quality parameters of the Sletr1-2 F1 hybrid lines in a manner that depended on the pure-line cultivar parental backgrounds. The influence of the Sletr1-2 mutation was detected only in the reductions and/or increases of individual amino acids and increases in the levels of organic acids, i.e., malate and citrate. In contrast, the sugar level was not changed. Moreover, the Sletr1-2 mutation significantly reduced the rate of water loss during postharvest storage. These results indicate that the Sletr1-2 mutation has favorable effects on the postharvest changes of Sletr1-2 F1 hybrid tomatoes that improve both the shelf life and the taste quality. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.