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Why are some tomatoes yellow?
short by Swati Dubey / on Saturday, 1 November, 2025
Some tomatoes turn yellow, not red, after ripening due to a mutation in the YFT3 gene. The mutation changes one amino acid in the enzyme isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, which weakens the enzyme's activity, affecting carotenoid pigment synthesis. It hinders chromoplast formation, and drastically reduces lycopene levels, preventing full colour development, leaving the fruit yellow instead of red.
read more at Oxford