{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T16:20:38Z","timestamp":1785860438592,"version":"3.56.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"group-title":"Plant Biology","reference-count":36,"publisher":"openRxiv","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.biorxiv.org\/about\/FAQ#license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>\n                  Pepper fruit accumulated xanthophyll acyl esters during ripening. To characterize the genes involved, cDNAs for two putative xanthophyll acyltransferases named CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like were cloned. The deduced amino acid sequences of CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like had conserved hydrolase and acyltransferase domains. Phylogenetic analyses showed that both putative acyl transferases were conserved in\n                  <jats:italic>Viridiplantae<\/jats:italic>\n                  , suggesting important functions for both. CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like GFP-fusion proteins were localized in the plastid when expressed in leaf tissue. Gene expression analyses indicated that both genes for CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like were most expressed in ripening fruit (52 to 64 days after anthesis) and senescent leaf,\n                  <jats:italic>CaPYP1<\/jats:italic>\n                  having relatively greater expression than\n                  <jats:italic>CaPYP1-like<\/jats:italic>\n                  . In virus-induced gene silencing experiments in pepper, xanthophyll esterification was greatly diminished when\n                  <jats:italic>CaPYP1<\/jats:italic>\n                  was silenced with a simultaneous change in the ripening fruit\u2019s color from dark red to bright red. In complementation tests, overexpression of\n                  <jats:italic>CaPYP1<\/jats:italic>\n                  in a tomato mutant impaired for petal coloration and xanthophyll esterification, resulted in restoration of the petal color and the synthesis of both mono, diacyl and tri esters of xanthophylls.\n                  <jats:italic>CaPYP1-like<\/jats:italic>\n                  overexpression in the same genetic background resulted in the synthesis of relatively smaller amounts of xanthophyll monoesters. In an\n                  <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                  test, zeaxanthin was more sensitive to light than zeaxanthin dipalmitate but both were protected when triacylglycerol was mixed with it, suggesting that acyl moieties could improve xanthophyll stability. Together our results indicate that xanthophyll esterification during pepper fruit ripening is important for fruit color, xanthophyll accumulation and stability and is orchestrated by both CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like with CaPYP1 playing a major role.\n                <\/jats:p>\n                <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Highlight<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Ripening pepper fruit accumulates xanthophyll fatty acyl esters associated with nutritional quality and fruit color. The fruit expresses CaPYP1 and CaPYP1-like, two putative acyltransferases in their chromoplasts. In a tomato mutant impaired for xanthophyll esterification, transgenic expression of\n                    <jats:italic>CaPYP1<\/jats:italic>\n                    promoted more xanthophyll esterification in ripe fruit than expressing\n                    <jats:italic>CaPYP1-like<\/jats:italic>\n                    .\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.07.28.741266","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,2]],"date-time":"2026-08-02T16:45:11Z","timestamp":1785689111000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Xanthophyll acyl esters in pepper (\n                  <i>Capsicum annuum<\/i>\n                  ): Delineating the role of two xanthophyll acyltransferases\n                  <i>CaPYP1<\/i>\n                  and\n                  <i>CaPYP1-like<\/i>\n                  via gene silencing and genetic complementation"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0510-7848","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jingwei","family":"Fu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690, U.S.A"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7867-465X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bala","family":"Rathinasabapathi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690, U.S.A"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/tpj.12570"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erz086"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00223-026-01544-4"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2017.01128"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erae301"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00425-025-04765-3"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/plphys\/kiag062"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ymben.2018.11.012"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/jf9912046"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines10081780"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1270\/jsbbs.18070"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4062\/biomolther.2017.048"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13007-017-0245-8"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-58313-y"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phytochem.2021.112912"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/PLPHYS\/KIAF304"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/nph.18970"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2022.844140"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1105\/tpc.112.095588"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2025.142772"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2017.05.015"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/foods6120111"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2016.12.018"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/acssuschemeng.2c01241"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1399-3054.1962.tb08052.x"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.2503\/hortj.UTD-R003","article-title":"Molecular basis of carotenoid accumulation in horticultural crops","volume":"88","year":"2019","journal-title":"Horticulture Journal"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkac993"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jafc.6b03226"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erag235"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-7652.2010.00574.x"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jfbc.14352"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-arplant-043015-111737"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.21273\/JASHS.140.6.597","article-title":"Inheritance of Fruit Traits in Capsicum annuum: Heirloom Cultivars as Sources of Quality Parameters Relating to Pericarp Shape, Color, Thickness, and Total Soluble Solids","volume":"140","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14111902"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1105\/tpc.19.00272"},{"key":"2026080408251284000_2026.07.28.741266v1.36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2020.128322"}],"container-title":[],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.07.28.741266","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T15:25:25Z","timestamp":1785857125000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/biorxiv.org\/lookup\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.07.28.741266"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"references-count":36,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.28.741266","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}