In Silico Functional Analysis of Expansin-Gene Responsible for Fruit Ripening and Softening

The recent advances in expansin studies were reviewed. Besides producing the strength that is needed by the plants, cell walls define cell shape, cell size and cell function. Expansins are cell wall proteins which consist of four sub families; a-expansin, b-expansin, expansin-like A and expansin-like B. These proteins mediate cell wall loosening and they are present in all plants and in some microbial organisms and other organisms like snails. The results of expansin promoter analysis on the 1.5 kb sequence upstream of the ATG (start codon) in Arabidopsis and their orthologs in P. persica by PLANT CARE revealed that different transcription factors (TF) are attached to specific DNA binding sites. In this experiment the genome sequencing of peach plant, from the Rosaceae (Prunus persica), has been carried out, so more precise application can be designated by analysis of their regulatory areas. In the next step, the proper genes were transferred into the early or late flowering plants, and consequently their yield and resistance against biotic and abiotic stress increased.