Clarification of molecular mechanism for active biosynthesis and abundant accumulation of ascorbic acid in acerola.

针叶树（Malpighia glabra）是一种外来水果，主要因其丰富的抗坏血酸含量而种植，其抗坏血酸含量比柠檬高20倍以上。本研究阐明了针叶中大量抗坏血酸的生物合成和积累的分子机制。此外，抗坏血酸生物合成相关基因从针叶草已被操纵，以产生抗坏血酸丰富的转基因植物。针叶抗坏血酸生物合成酶基因的过表达导致转基因植株抗坏血酸含量增加2 ~ 3倍。

Acerola(Malpighia glabra) is an exotic fruit cultivated primarily for its abundant ascorbate content, which is over 20-fold higher than ascorbate content in lemon. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the biosynthesis and accumulation of a large amount of ascorbic acid in acerola have been clarified in this study. Also, ascorbic acid biosynthesis-related genes from acerola have been manipulated to generate ascorbic acid-rich transgenic plants. The overexpression of acerola ascorbate biosynthetic enzyme genes resulted in two-to three-fold increase in the ascorbate content of the transgenic plants.