Genotypic Differences in Sweet Cherry Fruit Size are Primarily a Function of Cell Number

By J. Olmstead, A. Iezzoni, Matthew D. Whiting. 2007

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Understanding the genetic control of fruit size in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is critical for maximizing fruit size and profitable fresh market production. In cherry, coordinated cycles of cell division and expansion of the carpel result in a fleshy mesocarp that adheres to a stony endocarp. How these structural changes are influenced by differing genetics and environments to result in differing fruit sizes is not known. Thus, the authors measured mesocarp cell length and cell number as components of fruit size. To determine the relative genotypic contribution, five sweet cherry cultivars ranging from '1 to 13 g fresh weight were evaluated. To determine the relative environmental contribution to fruit size, different-size fruit within the same genotype and from the same genotype grown in different environments were evaluated. Mesocarp cell number was the major contributor to the differences in fruit equatorial diameter among the five sweet cherry cultivars. The cultivars fell into three significantly different cell number classes: '28 cells, '45 cells, and '78 cells per radial mesocarp section. Furthermore, mesocarp cell number was remarkably stable and virtually unaffected by the environment as neither growing location nor physiological factors that reduced final fruit size significantly altered the cell numbers. Cell length was also significantly different among the cultivars, but failed to contribute to the overall difference in fruit size. Cell length was significantly influenced by the environment, indicating that cultural practices that maximize mesocarp cell size should be used to achieve a cultivar's fruit size potential. The mature cherry fruit is composed of a thin protective exocarp, a fleshy mesocarp, and an inedible stony endocarp (pit) surrounding the seed (Esau, 1977). All three tissue types arise from the ovary, and the increase in fruit size results from a coordinated series of cell divisions and expansions. Fruit diameter increase in sweet cherry follows a double-sigmoid growth curve, consisting of three distinct growth stages (Coombe, 1976). Stage I is characterized by rapid and expo- nential fruit growth following anthesis; stage II, by a lag period of fruit growth coinciding with endocarp hardening and embryo development; and stage III, by a second period of exponential fruit growth ending with either harvest or physiological maturity. During stage I, mesocarp growth consists of both cell division and cell enlargement, whereas stage III mesocarp growth is predominantly the result of cell expansion (Coombe, 1976; Tukey and Young, 1939). Although the growth curve for cherry is well defined, the genetic differences in cell division and enlargement contribut- ing to the wide range in fruit size that can occur between genotypes are not. Wild forms of forest sweet cherry have small

Subfields: Molecular Biology, Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/bbb3701a07f0f04db87cb08e11f4ab91ca486b65

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In Molecular Biology

  1. Dechun Wang
  2. S. Sooriyapathirana
  3. Guorong Zhang
  4. A. Iezzoni
  5. Marco C. A. M. Bink
  6. A. Sebolt
  7. J. Olmstead

In Plant Science

  1. A. Iezzoni
  2. J. Olmstead

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