Kinetic modeling of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways in ripening tomato fruit

O_LIEthylene biosynthesis and signaling are pivotal pathways in various plant aging processes, including fruit ripening. Kinetic models can be used to better understand metabolic pathways, but modeling of the ethylene-related pathways is limited and the link between these pathways remains unsolved. C_LIO_LIA transcriptomics-based kinetic model was developed, consisting of ordinary differential equations describing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways in tomato during fruit development, ripening and post-harvest storage. C_LIO_LIThis model was calibrated against a large volume of transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolic data during on-vine ripening of tomato fruit grown in winter and summer. The model was validated using data on off-vine postharvest ripening. The ethylene biosynthesis pathway under different conditions appeared to be largely driven by gene expression levels. C_LIO_LIThe ethylene-regulation of fruit ripening of a heat tolerant tomato grown in different seasons is identical but with quantitative differences at the targeted omics levels. This is reflected by some of the same parameters with distinct values for summer and winter fruit. The current model is the first attempt to model the ethylene signaling pathway starting from gene expression, the various protein - protein interactions, including the link with ethylene production, internal ethylene levels and its receptors. C_LI