THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO DNA MOLECULES AND DNA CONSTRUCTS WHICH PROMOTE PAPAYA FRUIT RIPENING. THE PRESENT INVENTION IS ALSO DIRECTED TO METHODS FOR PROMOTING OR DELAYING THE RIPENING OF PAPAYA PLANTS THROUGH TRANSFORMATION OF PAPAYA WITH DNA CONSTRUCTS CONTAINING NUCLEIC ACIDS WHICH ENCODE PROTEINS OR POLYPEPTIDES INVOLVED IN PAPAYA RIPENING. THE INVENTION ALSO RELATES TO EXPRESSION SYSTEMS, HOST CELLS, AND PLANTS CONTAINING SUCH DNA CONSTRUCTS.