Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an annual plant species of great agronomic importance whose fruits undergo major metabolic changes through development and ripening. These changes include emission of volatile organic compounds associated with respiration, destruction of chlorophylls and synthesis of new pigments (red/yellow carotenoids plus xanthophylls and anthocyans) responsible for color shift, protein degradation/synthesis and changes in total soluble reducing equivalents. Previous data have shown that, during the ripening of pepper fruit, an enhancement of protein tyrosine nitration takes place. On the other hand, it is well known that S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activity can modulate the transnitrosylation equilibrium between GSNO and S-nitrosylated proteins and, consequently, regulate cellular NO homeostasis. In this study, GSNOR activity, protein content and gene expression were analyzed in green and red pepper fruits. The content of S-nitrosylated proteins on diaminofluorescein (DAF) gels was also studied. The data show that, while GSNOR activity and protein expression diminished during fruit ripening, S-nitrosylated protein content increased. Some of the protein candidates for S-nitrosylation identified, such as cytochorme c oxidase and peroxiredoxin II E, have previously been described as targets of this posttranslational modification in other plant species. These findings corroborate the important role played by GSNOR activity in the NO metabolism during the process of pepper fruit ripening.
Keywords: Fruit ripening; Nitrosothiols; Pepper; S-nitrosoglutathione reductase.
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