Complex and shifting interactions of phytochromes regulate fruit development in tomato.
Suresh Kumar Gupta1, Sulabha Sharma, Parankusam Santisree
1Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|January 18, 2014
Summary
Phytochromes (light-sensing proteins) influence tomato fruit ripening. Mutants lacking specific phytochromes showed altered ripening times and carotenoid accumulation, demonstrating their role in fruit development.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Tomato fruit ripening is a complex, genetically controlled process.
- Light signaling, mediated by phytochromes, influences carotenoid accumulation during ripening.
- The specific roles of different tomato phytochrome genes in fruit development and ripening remain largely unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of different phytochrome genes to tomato fruit ripening.
- To analyze the effects of phytochrome mutations on ripening transitions and carotenoid accumulation.
- To determine the phase-specific influence of phytochromes on fruit ripening.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single and multiple phytochrome mutants (phyA, phyB1, phyB2, phyAB1, phyB1B2, phyAB1B2).
- Compared on-vine ripening phases from fruit set to abscission.
- Examined carotenoid accumulation in both on-vine and off-vine ripened fruits, including dark incubation.
Main Results:
- The phyAB1B2 triple mutant exhibited accelerated ripening transitions and the shortest time to fruit abscission.
- Different phytochrome species, individually or combined, influenced specific phases of ripening.
- Carotenoid accumulation during ripening was not strictly dependent on light exposure.
- Phytochromes modulate transcript and carotenoid levels in a complex, phase-dependent manner.
Conclusions:
- Phytochromes play a significant role in regulating the timing of phase transitions during tomato fruit ripening.
- Beyond carotenoid levels, phytochromes impact the overall ripening duration and developmental progression.
- The study reveals a complex interplay between phytochromes and ripening phases, independent of light for carotenoid synthesis.
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