Scientists Find New Method to Sweeten Tomatoes

The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences conducted taste tests on over 100 varieties of tomatoes and identified 33 flavor compounds that affect consumer preferences, according to the study published in the journal Nature.

Then, they analyzed the content of these flavor compounds in more than 400 tomato samples from around the world and conducted genomic sequencing. This led to the discovery of 49 genes that influence flavor, including two that regulate sugar content.

By simply knocking out two genes, the glucose levels in the fruits saw an increase of up to 30 percent. This modification could also have a similar effect on the glucose and fructose levels of mass-produced tomatoes. As a result, suppliers can sell sweeter tomatoes without having to worry about a decrease in fruit weight or yield.

The result raises the possibility of "using the great genetic diversity existing in wild species, which has been partially lost in domesticated varieties, to improve modern varieties," commented Christophe Rothan, a fruit biologist at the French National Institute of Agricultural Research, in a viewpoint article.

It is also an important step forward in "understanding how fruits produce and store sugar," according to the article.

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