Partial purification of tomato fruit peroxidase and its effect on the mechanical properties of tomato fruit skin.

Peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7)-mediated stiffening of cell walls within the fruit skin of tomato is hypothesized to regulate fruit growth. However, to date, there is no experimental evidence demonstrating that peroxidase affects the mechanical properties of skin tissue. Here, the mechanical properties of skin strips excised from a range of fruits at different ages were determined using an 'Instron' universal material testing instrument. The stiffness of tomato fruit skin strips increases 3-fold with increasing fruit age. Application of partially-purified peroxidase from the cell walls of mature tomato fruit skin significantly increased the stiffness of fruit skin irrespective of the age of fruit. Furthermore, the application of hydrogen peroxide significantly increased the stiffness of skin strips excised from fruit of an age when endogenous peroxidase isozymes associated with the termination of growth are first detected. The results support the hypothesis that the tomato fruit skin plays an integral role in the regulation of tomato fruit growth, and that changes in its mechanical properties may be mediated by peroxidase. As far as is known, this is the first demonstration that peroxidases alter the mechanical properties of the plant cell wall.