Attività del gene OeCHLP nei frutti di Olea europaea: confronto tra diversi genotipi

Traditionally, the olive tree is grown mainly in the Mediterranean area, but the benefits of olive products on human health have been widely recognized and spread throughout the world. Olive drupes can be either processed as table olives or milled to produce olive oil. The NADPH-dependent geranylgeranyl reductase gene (OeCHLP) was characterised in olive (Olea europaea L.). OeCHLP catalyses the formation of carbon double bonds in the phytolic side chain of chlorophyll, tocopherols and plastoquinones and, therefore, is involved in metabolic pathways related to plant productivity and stress response, besides to nutritional value of its products. In order to relate gene activity to tocopherol synthesis, expression levels of OeCHLP have been evaluated by QPCR in the fruits of eleven olive cultivars with different tocopherol and chorophyll contents. Levels of tocopherols increased while the chlorophyll content decrease during the fruits development. Moreover, OeCHLP transcripts increased during the fruits development. We suggest that gene activity during ripening stage of fruit could be related to tocopherol action.