Paran, I.; van der Knaap, E. Genetic and molecular regulation of fruit and plant domestication traits in tomato and pepper. J. Exp. Bot. 2007, 58, 3841–3852. Ranc, N.; Muños, S.; Santoni, S.; Causse, M. A clarified position for Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme in the evolutionary history of tomatoes (solanaceae). BMC Plant Biol. 2008, 8, 130. Xu, W.; Dubos, C.; Lepiniec, L. Transcriptional control of flavonoid biosynthesis by MYB-bHLH-WDR complexes. Trends Plant Sci. 2015, 20, 176–185. Peralta, I.E.; Spooner, D.M. Granule-bound starch synthase (GBSSI) gene phylogeny of wild tomatoes (Solanum L. section Lycopersicon Wettst. Subsection Lycopersicon). Am. J. Bot. 2001, 88, 1888–1902.

Adding tomatoes to daily meals: Parents should increase the use of tomatoes in their children’s daily meals. Tomatoes can be added to salads, fruit juices, or dishes made from tomatoes, such as stir-fries, soups, sauces, etc.Tomato contains many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins C, K, potassium, and magnesium. Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system and allows children to resist diseases, vitamin K increases the resistance of the body system, and potassium and magnesium help promote heart health and the digestive system. Fray, R.G.; Grierson, D. Identification and genetic analysis of normal and mutant phytoene synthase genes of tomato by sequencing, complementation and co-suppression. Plant Mol. Biol. 1993, 22, 589–602.

Efremov, G.I.; Slugina, M.A.; Shchennikova, A.V.; Kochieva, E.Z. Differential Regulation of Phytoene Synthase PSY1 During Fruit Carotenogenesis in Cultivated and Wild Tomato Species (Solanum section Lycopersicon). Plants 2020, 9, 1169.Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a model crop for studying the biology of fleshy fruits, especially carotenoid biosynthesis [ 1]. In plants, carotenoids protect the cells from excessive radiation and render various colors, such as yellow, orange, and red to flowers, fruits, and vegetative organs [ 2]. The bright colors of flowers and fruits attract the pollinators and seed dispersers, and thereby, facilitate the propagation of plants. Carotenoids are precursors of plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA) and strigolactones, as well as of various apocarotenoids [ 3]. Dietary carotenoids are essential for the health of humans as they are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo [ 4]. Each carotenoid has its own function in promoting human health. For example, β-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, is essential for the health of eye and prevents ocular consequences, cataract, and macular degeneration [ 5]. Similarly, lycopene protects against chronic diseases and decreases the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases [ 6]. Therefore, improving individual carotenoid levels is an important trait in the breeding of many crops. Ronen, G.; Carmel-Goren, L.; Zamir, D.; Hirschberg, J. An alternative pathway to beta-carotene formation in plant chromoplasts discovered by map-based cloning of beta and old-gold color mutations in tomato. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2000, 97, 11102–11107. Barry, C.S.; McQuinn, R.P.; Chung, M.Y.; Besuden, A.; Giovannoni, J.J. Amino acid substitutions in homologs of the STAY-GREEN protein are responsible for the green-flesh and chlorophyll retainer mutations of tomato and pepper. Plant Physiol. 2008, 147, 179–187. Jones, C.M.; Mes, P.; Myers, J.R. Characterization and inheritance of the Anthocyanin fruit (Aft) tomato. J. Hered. 2003, 94, 449–456.

As the color in these sheets you can talk about tomatoes. How do they grow? What color are tomatoes? Or even foods that include tomatoes as an ingredient. Cherry tomatoes belong to the cluster variety. They are the same size as a cherry, hence the name. But do not go by its size. This tiny little tomato is much juicier and sweeter than most of the larger varieties of tomatoes. Tomato contains lycopene, an antioxidant that works against cancer cells. Many studies show that eating more tomatoes and lycopene products reduces the risk of prostate and colon cancer. Egea, I.; Barsan, C.; Bian, W.; Purgatto, E.; Latché, A.; Chervin, C.; Bouzayen, M.; Pech, J.C. Chromoplast differentiation: Current status and perspectives. Plant Cell Physiol. 2010, 51, 1601–1611. Welty, N. The Early History of Tomato Fruit Morphology. Available online: https://vanderknaaplab.uga.edu/documents/The-early-history-of-tomato-fruit-morphology-characteristics.pdf (accessed on 23 July 2021).Willson, M.F.; Whelan, C.J. The Evolution of Fruit Color in Fleshy-Fruited Plants. Am. Nat. 1990, 136, 790–809. Isaacson, T.; Ronen, G.; Zamir, D.; Hirschberg, J. Cloning of tangerine from tomato reveals a carotenoid isomerase essential for the production of beta-carotene and xanthophylls in plants. Plant Cell 2002, 14, 333–342. Here on the blog, I create Nature Inspired Activities you can do with your kids ages preschool and up. Use tomato-based products: Parents can also use tomato-based products, like ketchup, salsa, or ketchup, to add more tomatoes to their child’s diet. Manning, K.; Tör, M.; Poole, M.; Hong, Y.; Thompson, A.J.; King, G.J.; Giovannoni, J.J.; Seymour, G.B. A naturally occurring epigenetic mutation in a gene encoding an SBP-box transcription factor inhibits tomato fruit ripening. Nat. Genet. 2006, 38, 948–952.