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Scientists identify tomato genes to tweak for sweeter fruit


Gene-edited versions of large, domesticated varieties of tomato grew to be sweet like those from wild plants

While their wild relatives produce small, sweet fruit, domesticated tomatoes grown industrially have been bred for high yields, resulting in varieties that are 10-100 times bigger. Now scientists in China say they have identified two genes that put a brake on sugar production in tomatoes during ripening, and created gene-edited versions of domesticated varieties to result in fruit that is large but also sweet. Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers describe how they first explored the genomes of wild and cultivated tomato plants, identifying two similar genes associated with the sugar content of the fruit.

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