We hypothesized that if a burst of ethylene synthesis in
post-chilled fruit stimulates the onset of CI, then these
ripening impaired mutants may be resistant to CI at an
equivalent chronological stage of the parental control. If
however, CI is not primarily influenced by ethylene, injury
will be evident due to an affect of cold on ethylene
autonomous-ripening pathways in the mutants. Such
pathways in tomato would include starch degradation,
sugar, citric and malic acid production, loss of chlorophyll,
and some aspects of fruit softening that is, those initiated
before ethylene production in tomato (Jeffrey et al.,
1984). Studying CI-sensitivity in rin and nor may therefore
deliver new insight into chilling injury in tomato.