Ethylene negatively regulates transcript abundance of ROP-GAP rheostat-encoding genes and affects apoplastic reactive oxygen species homeostasis in epicarps of cold stored apple fruits.

Apple (Malus×domestica Borkh) fruits are stored for long periods of time at low temperatures (1 °C) leading to the occurrence of physiological disorders. 'Superficial scald' of Granny Smith apples, an economically important ethylene-dependent disorder, was used as a model to study relationships among ethylene action, the regulation of the ROP-GAP rheostat, and maintenance of H2O2 homeostasis in fruits during prolonged cold exposure. The ROP-GAP rheostat is a key module for adaptation to low oxygen in Arabidopsis through Respiratory Burst NADPH Oxidase Homologs (RBOH)-mediated and ROP GTPase-dependent regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis.

Evaluation of RNA extraction methods and identification of putative reference genes for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction expression studies on olive (Olea europaea L.) fruits.

Genome wide transcriptomic surveys together with targeted molecular studies are uncovering an ever increasing number of differentially expressed genes in relation to agriculturally relevant processes in olive (Olea europaea L). These data need to be supported by quantitative approaches enabling the precise estimation of transcript abundance. qPCR being the most widely adopted technique for mRNA quantification, preliminary work needs to be done to set up robust methods for extraction of fully functional RNA and for the identification of the best reference genes to obtain reliable quantification of transcripts.

Isolation and characterization of terpene synthases potentially involved in flavor development of ripening olive (Olea europaea) fruits.

The flavor and taste of fruits are often determined by terpenes. We identified three cDNAs encoding putative terpene synthases from olive fruits of cv. Frantoio and Grignano.

Influence of olive (cv Grignano) fruit ripening and oil extraction under different nitrogen regimes on volatile organic compound emissions studied by PTR-MS technique.

Volatile organic compounds of extra virgin olive oils obtained from the local Italian cultivar Grignano were measured by proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Oils were extracted by olives harvested at different ripening stages across veraison, performing each extraction step and the whole extraction process in nitrogen atmosphere to observe the changes in the volatile profiles of the oils. Principal component analysis carried out on the full spectral signature of the PTR-MS measurements showed that the stage of ripening has a stronger effect on the global definition of volatile profiles than the use of nitrogen during oil extraction.