investigated here must be accounted for within these two tissues. Mechanically relevant properties of soft tissues include the amount of applied stress, the properties of cell walls, and of the middle lamellae. Also involved are cell turgor, the permeability of
several upregulated DEGs assigned to cell wall degradation [BIN 10.6 ( P = 0.031)]. Table 1. Selected significant categories (BINs) of MapMan enrichment analysis ( Thimm et al., 2004 ; Usadel et al., 2005 ) for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in
samples (1 g) were digested with 1 m HCl. Both the total Fe concentration and ferrous Fe concentration of the dissolved solutions were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Z2000; Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan). Determination of cell wall Fe
. 2H ). Light microscopy of cross-sections of juice sacs revealed lignification in the cell walls of the “brown thorns” ( Fig. 2I ). Moreover, the cell walls near the “brown thorns” also thickened obviously ( Fig. 2J ), which was different from that of
components contribute to overall fruit texture, including cell type, size, shape, packing, cell to cell adhesion, extracellular space, and cell wall thickness ( Harker et al., 1997 ). Parenchyma cells are the most numerous type of cells in the flesh of
consumer acceptability ( Giovannoni, 2007 ; Grierson et al., 1986 ; Musse et al., 2009 ). Fruit softening is a complex process that results from loosening of the cell wall. Many enzymes such as pectinmethylesterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase, and
protective barrier in water transport, gas exchange, and pathogen defense ( Dominguez et al., 2011b ; Jeffree, 1996 ; Kerstiens, 1996 ; Riederer and Schreiber, 2001 ). The cuticle is deposited on the outer cell wall of the epidermis and also impregnates
storage duration ( Clark, 2005 ; Perkins-Veazie et al., 1996 ). Generally in fruits, firmness is related to modifications of the polysaccharide components of the primary cell wall and middle lamella during fruit ripening, resulting in a weaker fruit
viewed in incident light at ×250 (Axioplan; Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Jena, Germany). The fracture mode was quantified by counting the number of epidermal cells where fracture occurred along the anticlinal cell walls and expressing this number as a
.0. For flux estimates, see Table 1 . TEM revealed a thin cuticle of about 1 μm thickness on cell walls that averaged about 3 μm in thickness in the periclinal region of epidermal cells ( Fig. 4A ). Micrographs from sections of fruit incubated in