Research activities in this area are aimed at modifying the enzymatic profile of plant cell for specific metabolisms by employing biotechnological strategies as gene over-expression or down-regulation. Through the modulation of metabolic processes, as carotenoid biosynthesis, the cell can be forced to produce one or more substances (enzymes or secondary metabolites) thus improving the nutritional, industrial, or technological quality of the plant products. One of the most relevant projects is directed towards obtaining a collection of different tomato plants producing fruits varied in profiles and quantities of carotenoids. Our first significant result consists of a new line of tomato plants, named “HighCaro” (HC), with fruits of an intense orange colour due to the accumulation of beta-carotene (the principal precursor of vitamin A) instead of lycopene. The selected line was obtained over-expressing the tomato lycopene beta-cyclase gene. Current research lines are targeted to the modulation of carotenoid hydroxylation activity in fruit cell in order to select plants accumulating beta- and alfa-carotene derived xanthophylls. HC and derived lines can be considered actual bio-factories of natural compounds having high nutritional properties.

For more information please contact: Dr. Caterina D'Ambrosio

RESEARCH GROUP:

D’Ambrosio Caterina  (Group Leader)
Giorio Giovanni (Senior Researcher)
Stigliani Adriana Lucia (Senior Researcher)
Festa Giuseppe (Technician)
Pace Luciana (Regional Fellow)

LAST PUBLICATIONS:

• Giorio G., Stigliani A. L.  and D’Ambrosio  C. 2008. Phytoene synthase genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) – new data on the structures, the deduced amino acid sequences and the expression patterns. FEBS J. 275: 527–535.
  
• Giorio G., Stigliani A. L.  and D’Ambrosio  C. 2006. Agronomic performance and transcriptional analysis of carotenoid biosynthesis in fruits of transgenic HighCaro and control tomato lines under field conditions. Transgenic Res. 16: 15-28.
  
• D’Ambrosio C., Giorio G., Marino I.,Merendino A., Petrozza A., Salfi L., Stigliani A. L., Cellini F. 2004. Virtually complete conversion of lycopene into b-carotene in fruits of tomato plants transformed with the tomato lycopene b-cyclase (tlyc-b) cDNA. Plant Sci. 166:207-214.

more