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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #158705
Title: REDUCING CHILLING INJURY AND ENHANCING TRANSCRIPT LEVELS OF HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS, PR-PROTEINS AND ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE BY METHYL JASMONATE AND METHYL SALICYLATE IN TOMATOES AND PEPPERS

Author
item Wang, Chien
item FUNG, RAYMOND - VISIT SCI, NEW ZEALAND
item DING, CHANGKUI - VISIT SCI, CHINA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2003
Publication Date: 8/10/2003
Citation: Wang, C.Y., Fung, R., Ding, C. 2003. Reducing chilling injury and enhancing transcript levels of heat shock proteins, pr-proteins and alternative oxidase by methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate in tomatoes and peppers. Meeting Abstract. 2003. V. 38. P. 860.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) and sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) treated with vapors of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or methyl salicylate (MeSA) markedly increased their resistance to chilling injury and decreased the incidence of decay during and after low temperature storage. Accumulation of classes I and II small heat shock protein (HSP) mRNAs was increased significantly by treatment of tomato fruit with MeJA and MeSA. Following MeJA and MeSA treatments, the transcripts of HSP 70 family also accumulated to higher levels than those of the control. MeJA substantially increased the accumulation of pathogenesis-related (PR)-2b transcripts and enhanced the mRNA levels of PR-2a and PR-3b. MeSA substantially increased the accumulation of PR-2b and PR-3a mRNAs compared to the control. Two transcripts, 1.5 kb and 3.5 kb, of alternative oxidase (AOX) were detected by Northern blot analysis from sweet pepper fruit stored at 0oC. Both transcripts reached maximal levels firstly in MeSA treated fruit, secondly in MeJA treated fruit and lastly in controls. These results suggest that the treatment of tomatoes and sweet peppers with MeJA or MeSA induces the synthesis of some stress proteins, such as HSP, PR-proteins, and AOX, which leads to increased chilling tolerance and resistance to decay.