Polygalacturonase gene expression in ripe melon fruit supports a role for polygalacturonase in ripening-associated pectin disassembly

Ripening-associated pectin disassembly in melon is characterized by a decrease in molecular mass and an increase in the solubilization of polyuronide, modifications that in other fruit have been attributed to the activity of polygalacturonase (PC). Although it has been reported that PC activity is absent during melon fruit ripening, a mechanism for PC-independent pectin disassembly has not been positively identified. Here we provide evidence that pectin disassembly in melon (Cucumis melo) may be PG mediated. Three melon cDNA clones with significant homology to other cloned PGs were isolated from the rapidly ripening cultivar Charentais (C. melo cv Reticulatus F1 Alpha) and were expressed at high levels during fruit ripening. The expression pattern correlated temporally with an increase in pectin-degrading activity and a decrease in the molecular mass of cell wall pectins, suggesting that these genes encode functional PGs. MPG1 and MPG2 were closely related to peach fruit and tomato abscission zone PGs, and MPG3 was closely related to tomato fruit PG. MPG1, the most abundant melon PG mRNA, was expressed in Aspergillus oryzae. The culture filtrate exponentially decreased the viscosity of a pectin solution and catalyzed the linear release of reducing groups, suggesting that MPC1 encodes an endo-PG with the potential to depolymerize melon fruit cell wall pectin. Because MPC1 belongs to a group of PGs divergent from the well-characterized tomato fruit PG, this supports the involvement of a second class of PGs in fruit ripening-associated pectin disassembly.