Color Biogenesis of Tomatoes

Controlled postharvest stresses were used to induce the synthesis of carotenoids in tomato fruit. The accumulation of carotenoids was observed by the change of color of the tomato fruit from green to red. This change of color was monitored by the a* value and hue of the CIELAB* color coordinates in which the a* value increased following a sigmoidal curve and hue decreased in a similar trend. This sigmoidal curve marked the transition from chloroplasts to chromoplasts; in other words, the change of color tracked the disorganization or degreening, which was simultaneously accompanied by chromoplast biogenesis or red color development when tomatoes were at the Turning stage of development. The color data and photographic images provides information on how heat stress affected the synchronicity of chloroplast disorganization and chromoplast biogenesis in the early developmental stages of tomato ripening.

本研究采用可控采后胁迫手段，诱导番茄果实内类胡萝卜素（carotenoids）的合成。科研人员通过观测番茄果实从绿色转为红色的色泽变化，追踪类胡萝卜素的积累过程。该色泽变化通过CIELAB*色彩坐标系下的a*值与色调（hue）进行监测：a*值呈S型曲线（sigmoidal curve）递增，而色调则呈现相似的递减趋势。该S型曲线标志着从叶绿体（chloroplasts）到有色体（chromoplasts）的转变；换言之，色泽变化可追踪叶绿体解体与褪绿过程，而当番茄处于发育进程中的转色期（Turning stage）时，该过程同时伴随有色体形成与红色色泽的显现。本数据集包含色泽数据与实拍图像，可用于解析热胁迫如何影响番茄成熟早期阶段中叶绿体解体与有色体形成的同步性。