Induction of a Citrus gene highly homologous to plant and yeast thi genes involved in thiamine biosynthesis during natural and ethylene-induced fruit maturation.

Maturing citrus fruit undergo pigment changes which can be enhanced by exogenous ethylene. In order to identify genes induced by ethylene in citrus fruit peel, we cloned the gene c-thi1. mRNA corresponding to c-thi1 increased gradually in the peel during natural fruit maturation and in response to ethylene. GA3 pretreatment reduced the inductive effect of ethylene. Levels of c-thi1 increased also in juice sacs but the effect of ethylene was much less prominent. c-thi1 is homologous to yeast and plant genes encoding for an enzyme belonging to the pathway of thiamine biosynthesis. The data suggest that thiamine is involved in citrus fruit maturation.