Chinese scientists have developed a new tomato variety that smells like buttered popcorn, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The research, published in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture, aims to address the loss of flavour that occurs during transport and storage of tomatoes.
Tomatoes lose their aroma soon after being harvested due to metabolic changes, which reduces their sensory appeal and market value. By disrupting the betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH2) gene, researchers caused an accumulation of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), the compound responsible for the popcorn-like scent.
Further screening identified two gene variants, SlBADH1 and SlBADH2. Blocking both genes resulted in significantly higher 2-AP content. The mutant lines showed no significant differences in key traits such as flowering time, plant height, fruit weight, sugar content, or vitamin C levels, indicating flavour improvement without yield loss.
Lead author Shengchun Xu noted that while SlBADH2 played a predominant role, SlBADH1 also contributed to 2-AP accumulation. Co-author Peng Zheng added that ongoing work aims to introduce this fragrance to elite commercial cultivars, potentially enhancing consumer preference and market value, similar to fragrant rice varieties.
