Seed dispersion and consequent plant propagation depend on the success of fruit ripening. Thus, ripening is a highly regulated developmental process aiming to maximize fruit organoleptic traits to attract herbivores. During ripening, the developing fruit experiences dramatic modifications, including color change, flavor improvement, and loss of firmness that are remarkably coordinated. Dynamic interactions between multiple hormones, transcription factors, and epigenetic modifications establish the complex regulatory network that controls the expression levels of ripening-related genes. Tomato, as a climacteric fruit, displays a burst of respiration once the seeds mature, followed by an increase in ethylene that regulates ripening. The accepted paradigm of the ripening transcriptional regulation has been recently challenged by the generation of true-null mutants of the previously considered master regulators of ripening. In addition to hormonal and transcriptional control, epigenetic shifts regulate the ripening process. Future research will contribute to better understanding the factors regulating fruit ripening.

种子传播和随后的植物繁殖取决于果实成熟的成功与否。因此，成熟是一个高度调节的发育过程，旨在最大限度地提高水果感官特性以吸引食草动物。在成熟过程中，发育中的果实经历了显着协调的显着变化，包括颜色变化、风味改善和硬度损失。多种激素、转录因子和表观遗传修饰之间的动态相互作用建立了控制成熟相关基因表达水平的复杂调控网络。番茄作为一种更年期水果，一旦种子成熟，就会表现出呼吸的爆发，随后乙烯的增加会调节成熟。成熟转录调控的公认范式最近受到了先前被认为是成熟的主要调控因子的真空突变体的挑战。除了激素和转录控制之外，表观遗传变化还调节成熟过程。未来的研究将有助于更好地了解调控果实成熟的因素。