Dynamic Changes in Ascorbic Acid Content during Fruit Development and Ripening of _Actinidia lafifolia_ (an Ascorbate-Rich Fruit Crop) and the Associated Molecular Mechanisms  
[PERSON]  
1 Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (H.D. ; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (H.X. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (Y.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[PERSON]  
1 Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (H.D. ; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (H.X. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (Y.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (X.L. ); lj@[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (L.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (J.W. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (K.X.L. );  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.)  
[EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (R.H.  
Kiwifruit is a member of the genus _Actinidia_ Lindl. belonging to the family Actinidaceae. It is an important fruit crop widely distributed throughout most of East Asia, with the center of evolution being the Yangzi and Pearl Rivers and mountain ranges in China [8]. Kiwifruit has long been considered \"the king of fruits\" because of its remarkably high AsA content [8], and the presence of other nutritional phytochemicals that can provide several health benefits [9; 10]. When compared with other commercially important fruit crops, the AsA content in equal fresh weight (FW) kiwifruit is approximately one-to-two times higher than that of orange, while it is 10 times higher than that of banana and up to 15 times higher than that of apple [11; 12]. Within the genus _Actinidia_ Lindl., there is great natural variation in AsA content. However, _A. litifolia_ is one of the very few kiwifruit genotypes that are regarded as an exceptional source of extremely high AsA [13; 14; 15; 16]. Accordingly, _A. litifolia_ could serve as a valuable source for improving AsA content in other commercially important kiwifruit cultivars in future breeding strategies. Several transgenic approaches have been employed to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the AsA biosynthesis pathways in higher plants.