A study conducted by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences and partners demonstrated the potential of gene editing to increase
sugar content in tomatoes without affecting the weight and yield of the
fruit. This scientific breakthrough could pave the way for sweeter tomatoes
in the market.



Tomato is one of the world's most widely cultivated crops, valued for its
nutritional content and contributions to human health. Various literature
showed a significant correlation between tomato's sugar content and consumer
preferences, with most consumers preferring sweeter tomatoes. However,
commercially available varieties of tomatoes generally contain low sugar
content.



The researchers said that SlCPK27 and SlCDPK26 act as sugar brakes by
phosphorylating a sucrose synthase, which promotes the degradation of the
sucrose synthase. The results of the study showed that SlCPK27 and SlCDPK26
knockouts increased glucose and fructose contents by up to 30% without fruit
weight and yield penalty. Their findings provide significant insights and
opportunities to enhance the sweetness of large-fruited cultivars without
affecting size and yield.



[www.nature.com]