Fruit firmness

Fruit Firmness (Stewart Dalton, Spring 2013)

-http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/37/2/386.full.pdf -Softening occurs with enzymatic digestion of cell wall components such as pectin, cellulose and hamicellulose. -Pectin decreases as blueberries ripen from green to to blue- degradation of -Expansin protein family- necessary for softening process. Expression of expansin mRNA and protein is correlated with growth and/or cell wall disassembly (Dotto et al, 2005)