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Modulating the strigolactone pathway to optimize tomato shoot branching for vertical farming
Jiwoo Lee1, Myeong-Gyun Seo1, Yoonseo Lim1
1Graduate School of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Korea.
Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
|October 15, 2025
Summary
Fine-tuning strigolactone (SL) genes in tomatoes impacts plant architecture. Weak alleles of SL genes offer a promising strategy for optimizing yield and fruit ripening in space-limited cultivation.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Agricultural Science
- Genetics
Background:
- Optimizing plant architecture is crucial for maximizing fruit yield in determinate growth plants.
- Strigolactone (SL) signaling and biosynthesis pathways regulate shoot branching and plant architecture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of SlD14 and SlMAX1 genes in regulating tomato plant architecture, yield, and fruit ripening.
- To explore the potential of fine-tuning axillary shoot growth for enhanced productivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to create sld14, slmax1, and sld14 slmax1 mutant tomato plants.
- Analyzed plant architecture, axillary shoot proliferation, yield, and fruit ripening characteristics.
Main Results:
- Mutant plants showed reduced height and increased branching, but also reduced yield and delayed ripening.
- A weak sld14 allele maintained fruit yield and harvest index with reduced individual fruit size.
- Allelic variation in SL-related genes significantly impacts plant architecture and yield components.
Conclusions:
- Excessive axillary shoot development due to strong mutations can lead to source-sink imbalances, reducing yield.
- Weak or partial alleles of SL-related genes are potential targets for tailoring tomato architecture for space-limited cultivation.
- SL gene allelic variation provides a tool for optimizing tomato yield and ripening synchronization.
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