Depolymerization of cell wall xyloglucan has been proposed to be involved in tomato fruit softening, along with the xyloglucan modifying enzymes. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs: EC 2.4.1.207 and/or EC 3.2.1.151) have been proposed to have a dual role integrating newly secreted xyloglucan chains into an existing wall-bound xyloglucan, or restructuring the existing cell wall material by catalyzing transglucosylation between previously wall-bound xyloglucan molecules. Here, 10 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) SlXTHs were studied and grouped into three phylogenetic groups to determine which members of each family were expressed during fruit growth and fruit ripening, and the ways in which the expression of different SlXTHs contributed to the total XET and XEH activities. Our results showed that all of the SlXTHs studied were expressed during fruit growth and ripening, and that the expression of all the SlXTHs in Group 1 was clearly related to fruit growth, as were SlXTH12 in Group 2 and SlXTH6 in Group 3-B. Only the expression of SlXTH5 and SlXTH8 from Group 3-A was clearly associated with fruit ripening, although all 10 of the different SlXTHs were expressed at the red ripe stage. Both total XET and XEH activities were higher during fruit growth, and decreased during fruit ripening. Ethylene production during tomato fruit growth was low and experienced a significant increase during fruit ripening, which was not correlated either with SlXTH expression or with XET and XEH activities. We suggest that the role of XTH during fruit development could be related to the maintenance of the structural integrity of the cell wall, and the decrease in XTHs expression, and the subsequent decrease in activity during ripening may contribute to fruit softening, with this process being regulated through different XTH genes.

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTHs: EC 2.4.1.207 and/or EC 3.2.1.151), a xyloglucan modifying enzyme, has been proposed to have a role during tomato and apple fruit ripening by loosening the cell wall. Since the ripening of climacteric fruits is controlled by endogenous ethylene biosynthesis, we wanted to study whether XET activity was ethylene-regulated, and if so, which specific genes encoding ripening-regulated XTH genes were indeed ethylene-regulated. XET specific activity in tomato and apple fruits was significantly increased by the ethylene treatment, as compared with the control fruits, suggesting an increase in the XTH gene expression induced by ethylene. The 25 SlXTH protein sequences of tomato and the 11 sequences MdXTH of apple were phylogenetically analyzed and grouped into three major clades. The SlXTHs genes with highest expression during ripening were SlXTH5 and SlXTH8 from Group III-B, and in apple MdXTH2, from Group II, and MdXTH10, and MdXTH11 from Group III-B. Ethylene was involved in the regulation of the expression of different SlXTH and MdXTH genes during ripening. In tomato fruit fifteen different SlXTH genes showed an increase in expression after ethylene treatment, and the SlXTHs that were ripening associated were also ethylene dependent, and belong to Group III-B (SlXTH5 and SlXTH8). In apple fruit, three MdXTH showed an increase in expression after the ethylene treatment and the only MdXTH that was ripening associated and ethylene dependent was MdXTH10 from Group III-B. The results indicate that XTH may play an important role in fruit ripening and a possible relationship between XTHs from Group III-B and fruit ripening, and ethylene regulation is suggested.