“…Putative functions encoded by other tomato ripening-related mRNAs include a thiol protease, a proteinase inhibitor, a heat-shock protein, a UDP glucosyl or glucuronosyl transferase, a dehydrogenase of unknown substrate specificity, a stress-related protein, and a possible cell wall protein [ 19,34]. For avocado, ripening-related mRNAs identified to date include those encoding cellulase, polygalacturonase, ethylene-forming enzyme, a cytochrome P-450, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor, a thaumatin-like protein, and an endochitinase [7,10,11,14,30,42]. In stark contrast to tomato and avocado, the molecular events involved in ripening of any nonclimacteric fruit have not been characterized in detail, and the elucidation of these events could provide valuable insights into the fundamental differences between climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits.…”