In @entity523 ( @entity523 ), @entity37130 ( @entity37130 ) is the key biosynthetic enzyme responsible for the synthesis of fruit carotenoids. To further our understanding of carotenoid formation in @entity523 fruit, we characterized the effect of constitutive expression of an additional @entity523 @entity37130 gene product. A quantitative data set defining levels of carotenoid/isoprenoid gene expression, enzyme activities, and metabolites was generated from fruit that showed the greatest perturbation in carotenoid content. Transcriptional upregulation, resulting in increased enzyme activities and metabolites, occurred only in the case of @entity37130 , @entity68654 , and lycopene cyclase B. For reactions involving 1-deoxy-d-xylulose5-phosphate synthase, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, phytoene desaturase, @entity68655 , there were no correlations between gene expression, enzyme activities, and metabolites. Perturbations in carotenoid composition were associated with changes in plastid type and with chromoplast-like structures arising prematurely during fruit development. The levels of >120 known metabolites were determined. Comparison with the wild type illustrated that key metabolites (sucrose, glucose/fructose, and Glu) and sectors of intermediary metabolism (e.g., tricarboxylic [corrected] acid cycle intermediates and fatty acids) in the @entity37130 transgenic mature green fruit resembled changes in metabolism associated with fruit ripening. General fruit developmental and ripening properties, such as ethylene production and fruit firmness, were unaffected. Therefore, it appears that the changes to pigmentation, plastid type, and metabolism associated with @entity37130 overexpression are not connected with the ripening process.

Manipulation of phytoene levels in XXXX fruit: effects on isoprenoids, plastids, and intermediary metabolism.

@entity523 :: ('4081', 'Species') :: ['tomato', 'Solanum lycopersicum'] @entity37130 :: ('543988(Tax:4081)', 'Gene') :: ['Psy-1', 'phytoene synthase-1', 'PSY-1'] @entity68654 :: ('543964(Tax:4081)', 'Gene') :: ['Psy-2'] @entity68655 :: ('543629;544104', 'Gene') :: ['zeta-carotene desaturase, carotene isomerase, and lycopene beta-cyclase']
@entity523 :: (4081,Species) :: ['tomato']
