image: Numerous genes responsible for the flavor of tomatoes have been lost, as food producers selected the fruit for other qualities, such as size and firmness. Now, Denise Tieman et al. reveal the lost genes associated with the original flavor. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Jan. 27, 2017, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by D. Tieman at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Shenzhen, China, and colleagues was titled, "A chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor." view more
Credit: Harry Klee, University of Florida
让番茄恢复好滋味：据新的研究报告，基因分析揭示了哪些基因是恢复番茄滋味所需的。多年来，人们选择番茄所注重的是诸如个头大小和便于运输的紧实性等特征，对其滋味的选择则被忽视，导致许多当代品种失去了其原有的味道。为了确认注入风味的基因，Denise Tieman等对398种当代、原种和野生型番茄的全基因组进行了测序。此外，代表101个品种的160个番茄样本受到了消费者小组的评估，它对番茄的诸如整体喜好及风味强度（其所指向的令人感兴趣的化合物达几十种）等特质进行了评比。这样，科研人员能够确认13种与滋味相关的化合物，在现代番茄品种中，这些化合物比其在原种番茄中的含量显著减少；他们用基因测序数据来确定相应的丢失基因。作者们发现，较小的番茄往往有着较高的糖含量，这意味着人工选择导致了种植的番茄个儿变大，但代价是甜度和滋味变差。
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Article #11: "A chemical genetic roadmap to improved tomato flavor," by D. Tieman; G. Zhu; T. Lin; S. Huang; H. Klee at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Shenzhen, China; D. Tieman; C. Nguyen; D. Bies; M. Taylor; B. Zhang; H. Ikeda; Z. Liu; A. Monforte; M. Kirst; H. Klee at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL; G. Zhu; T. Lin; S. Huang at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, China; G. Zhu; T. Lin; S. Huang at Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture in Beijing, China; M.F.R. Resende Jr. at RAPiD Genomics in Gainesville, FL; J.L. Rambla; K.S.O. Beltran; A. Granell at Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) in València, Spain; J.L. Rambla; K.S.O. Beltran; A. Granell at Universidat Politècnica de València in València, Spain; J. Fisher; I. Zemach; D. Zamir at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Rehovot, Israel.
Journal
Science