Fig. 6

Changes in several physiological and molecular parameters of transgenic and control fruits. Transgenic fruits, in which NCED and ACO3 transcripts were downregulated by more than 70 and 80% relative to control fruits, respectively, were examined. NCEDs-VIGS represents NCED1-VIGS and NCED3-VIGS mixed samples. (a) ABA contents. (b) Ethylene emission. (c) and (d) Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. (e) and (f) Transcript levels of the PSY, PDS, ZEP, ZDS, BCH, and CCS carotenoid biosynthesis genes. PSY: 15-cis-phytoene synthase; PDS: 15-cis-phytoene desaturase; ZEP: zeaxanthin epoxidase; ZDS: zeta-carotene desaturase; BCH: beta-carotene hydroxylase 1; CCS: capsanthin/capsorubin synthase). Ubi3 was used as the internal control. Error bars represent the SE (n = 3). Columns with different letters (a, b) indicate statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) when the data are performed by variance analysis followed by Duncan’s multiple range tests