U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2002





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 ARS Research May Lead to Tastier TomatoesBy Luis PonsApril 11, 2002New Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-led discoveries about a gene that makes tomatoes ripen may lead to tastier tomatoes, according to an article in the current issue ofScience magazine.ARS researchers in Ithaca, N.Y., along with scientists from the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University, Texas A&M University, and Jealott's Hill Research Station in the United Kingdom, have developed new scientific information about the ripening-inhibitor (RIN) gene that controls ripening in tomatoes.Previously, researchers knew that ethylene, a gas naturally produced by plants, stimulates ripening in many fruits, including the tomato. According to ARS molecular biologist Jim Giovannoni, an additional genetic trait in tomatoes--and probably other fruits--also affects ripening and various quality characteristics. Work by Giovannoni and his team reveals that the RIN gene is a regulatory gene, a special kind of gene that controls the activity of other genes. The RIN gene affects both ethylene production during ripening and other processes of ripening that are not dependent upon ethylene.The discovery may be the breakthrough that leads to a better-tasting tomato that meets commercial shelf-life needs. Currently tomatoes are picked and shipped while green and unripe. They are then gassed with ethylene to make them ripen, but this process does not always recreate all the characteristics of a good vine-ripened tomato. What is needed is a substitute for green picking that will help maintain both a long shelf life and the ability to ripen properly.The RIN gene and a nonfunctioning mutant form of the gene both occur naturally in tomatoes. The natural variant form, which blocks ripening, gives greater fruit firmness and shelf life and may be useful as an alternative to picking while green. Fine-tuning of RIN gene activity between the mutant and normal forms could make it possible to increase shelf life while maintaining the desirable characteristics of a vine-ripened tomato.The new discovery may allow scientists to enhance specific desirable aspects of ripening, including flavor, color intensity and perhaps even vitamin and mineral contents, making fruit even more nutritious. The gene and its natural variant could also be useful to increase shelf life in other fruits where mutant forms of the RIN gene are not available.The RIN gene was found to be a member of the so-called MADS-box gene family whose members control floral development in plants. Interestingly, the ARS-led research was the first to prove that ripening is directly controlled by a gene associated with the floral development process.ARS is the U.S. Department of Agricultures chief scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov