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Transcriptomic and metabolomics responses to elevated cell wall invertase activity during tomato fruit set
Lei Ru1,2, Sonia Osorio3, Lu Wang1,2
1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Journal of Experimental Botany
|September 20, 2017
Summary
Elevating cell wall invertase (CWIN) in tomato ovaries enhances fruit set by boosting defense and cell cycle genes. Ovaries are more responsive to CWIN than fruitlets, suggesting a key role in yield potential.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Fruit set, the transition from ovaries to fruitlets, is crucial for crop yield.
- Cell wall invertase (CWIN) is vital for fruit and seed development, but its molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular basis of CWIN's role in tomato fruit set.
- To analyze transcriptomic and metabolic changes in CWIN-elevated transgenic tomatoes during fruit set.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CWIN-elevated transgenic tomato lines.
- Performed RNA sequencing (RNAseq) on ovaries and fruitlets at specific developmental stages.
- Conducted Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses.
Main Results:
- Ovaries showed significantly higher transcriptomic responsiveness to elevated CWIN activity compared to fruitlets.
- Upregulated pathways included defense, ethylene synthesis, cell cycle, and cell wall synthesis genes.
- Decreased expression of photosynthetic and protein degradation genes was observed, correlating with reduced amino acid levels.
Conclusions:
- Tomato ovaries are more sensitive to metabolic interventions like CWIN elevation than developing fruitlets.
- Increased CWIN activity can potentially enhance fruit set by bolstering pathogen resistance and modulating cell cycle and cell wall synthesis.
