1
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Nizampatnam NR, Sharma K, Gupta P, Pamei I, Sarma S, Sreelakshmi Y, Sharma R. Introgression of a dominant phototropin1 mutant enhances carotenoids and boosts flavour-related volatiles in genome-edited tomato RIN mutants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:2227-2242. [PMID: 38151719 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ripening inhibitor (rin) mutation is known to completely repress fruit ripening. The heterozygous (RIN/rin) fruits have extended shelf life, ripen normally, but have inferior taste/flavour. To address this, we used genome editing to generate newer alleles of RIN (rinCR ) by targeting the K-domain. Unlike previously reported CRISPR alleles, the rinCR alleles displayed delayed onset of ripening, suggesting that the mutated K-domain represses the onset of ripening. The rinCR fruits had extended shelf life and accumulated carotenoids at an intermediate level between rin and progenitor line. Besides, the metabolites and hormonal levels in rinCR fruits were more akin to rin. To overcome the negative attributes of rin, we crossed the rinCR alleles with Nps1, a dominant-negative phototropin1 mutant, which enhances carotenoid levels in tomato fruits. The resulting Nps1/rinCR hybrids had extended shelf life and 4.4-7.1-fold higher carotenoid levels than the wild-type parent. The metabolome of Nps1/rinCR fruits revealed higher sucrose, malate, and volatiles associated with tomato taste and flavour. Notably, the boosted volatiles in Nps1/rinCR were only observed in fruits bearing the homozygous Nps1 mutation. The Nps1 introgression into tomato provides a promising strategy for developing cultivars with extended shelf life, improved taste, and flavour.
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Grants
- BT/COE/34/SP15209/2015 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- BT/INF/22/SP44787/2021 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- BT/PR6983/PBD/16/1007/2012 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- BT/PR/7002/PBD/16/1009/2012 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
- BT/PR11671/PBD/16/828/2008 Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
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Affiliation(s)
- Narasimha Rao Nizampatnam
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Kapil Sharma
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Prateek Gupta
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University-AP, Neerukonda, Andhra Pradesh, 522240, India
| | - Injangbuanang Pamei
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Supriya Sarma
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Yellamaraju Sreelakshmi
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Rameshwar Sharma
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
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2
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Li H, Wang S, Zhai L, Cui Y, Tang G, Huo J, Li X, Bian S. The miR156/SPL12 module orchestrates fruit colour change through directly regulating ethylene production pathway in blueberry. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:386-400. [PMID: 37797061 PMCID: PMC10826998 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Colour change is an important event during fruit ripening in blueberry. It is well known that miR156/SPLs act as regulatory modules mediating anthocyanin biosynthesis and ethylene plays critical roles during colour change, but the intrinsic connections between the two pathways remain poorly understood. Previously, we demonstrated that blueberry VcMIR156a/VcSPL12 affects the accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophylls in tomato and Arabidopsis. In this study, we first showed that VcMIR156a overexpression in blueberry led to enhanced anthocyanin biosynthesis, decreased chlorophyll accumulation, and, intriguingly, concomitant elevation in the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes and the level of the ethylene precursor ACC. Conversely, VcSPL12 enhanced chlorophyll accumulation and suppressed anthocyanin biosynthesis and ACC synthesis in fruits. Moreover, the treatment with ethylene substitutes and inhibitors attenuated the effects of VcMIR156a and VcSPL12 on pigment accumulation. Protein-DNA interaction assays indicated that VcSPL12 could specifically bind to the promoters and inhibit the activities of the ethylene biosynthetic genes VcACS1 and VcACO6. Collectively, our results show that VcMIR156a/VcSPL12 alters ethylene production through targeting VcACS1 and VcACO6, therefore governing fruit colour change. Additionally, VcSPL12 may directly interact with the promoter region of the chlorophyll biosynthetic gene VcDVR, thereby activating its expression. These findings established an intrinsic connection between the miR156/SPL regulatory module and ethylene pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxue Li
- College of Plant ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Shouwen Wang
- College of Plant ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Lulu Zhai
- College of Plant ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Yuhai Cui
- Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada, London Research and Development CentreLondonONCanada
- Department of BiologyWestern UniversityLondonONCanada
| | - Guiliang Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Science and Technology InstituteMichigan Technological UniversityHoughtonMIUSA
| | - Junwei Huo
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsNortheast Agricultural UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Xuyan Li
- College of Plant ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Shaomin Bian
- College of Plant ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
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3
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Zhu Q, Deng L, Chen J, Rodríguez GR, Sun C, Chang Z, Yang T, Zhai H, Jiang H, Topcu Y, Francis D, Hutton S, Sun L, Li CB, van der Knaap E, Li C. Redesigning the tomato fruit shape for mechanized production. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:1659-1674. [PMID: 37723204 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Crop breeding for mechanized harvesting has driven modern agriculture. In tomato, machine harvesting for industrial processing varieties became the norm in the 1970s. However, fresh-market varieties whose fruits are suitable for mechanical harvesting are difficult to breed because of associated reduction in flavour and nutritional qualities. Here we report the cloning and functional characterization of fs8.1, which controls the elongated fruit shape and crush resistance of machine-harvestable processing tomatoes. FS8.1 encodes a non-canonical GT-2 factor that activates the expression of cell-cycle inhibitor genes through the formation of a transcriptional module with the canonical GT-2 factor SlGT-16. The fs8.1 mutation results in a lower inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation of the ovary wall, leading to elongated fruits with enhanced compression resistance. Our study provides a potential route for introducing the beneficial allele into fresh-market tomatoes without reducing quality, thereby facilitating mechanical harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Jie Chen
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Gustavo R Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario (IICAR-CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Chuanlong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Zeqian Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxia Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huawei Zhai
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Hongling Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yasin Topcu
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Batı Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute, Antalya, Turkey
| | - David Francis
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Samuel Hutton
- Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Liang Sun
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Bao Li
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Esther van der Knaap
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Chuanyou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.
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4
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Targeting ripening regulators to develop fruit with high quality and extended shelf life. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102872. [PMID: 36621222 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Fruit quality directly impacts fruit marketability and consumer acceptance. Breeders have focused on fruit quality traits to extend shelf life, primarily through fruit texture, but, in some cases, have neglected other qualities such as flavor and nutrition. In recent years, integrative biotechnology and consumer-minded approaches have surfaced, aiding in the development of flavorful, long-lasting fruit. Here, we discussed how specific transcription factors and hormones involved in fruit ripening can be targeted to generate high-quality fruit through traditional breeding and bioengineering. We highlight regulators that can be used to generate novel-colored fruit or biofortify fresh produce with health-promoting nutrients, such as vitamin C. Overall, we argue that addressing grower and industry needs must be balanced with consumer-based traits.
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5
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Yin Z, Liu J, Zhao H, Chu X, Liu H, Ding X, Lu C, Wang X, Zhao X, Li Y, Ding X. SlMYB1 regulates the accumulation of lycopene, fruit shape, and resistance to Botrytis cinerea in tomato. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhac282. [PMID: 36818368 PMCID: PMC9930398 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fruit lycopene, shape, and resistance are essential traits in vegetables whose final product is fruit, and they are also closely related to and strictly regulated by multiple transcription factors. Lycopene, which cannot be synthesized by the human body and can only be ingested from the outside, was important in maintaining human health. During fruit ripening and post-harvest, tomato plants face a variety of biotic or abiotic stresses, which might inflict great damage to fruit quality due to its flat shape and pointed tip during storage and transportation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for key molecular switches to simultaneously improve fruit lycopene and resistance to biotic stress during ripening. Here, we identified the MYB transcription factor SlMYB1 in tomato plants which could bind to the promoters of lycopene synthesis-related genes, SlLCY1, SlPSY2, and the pathogen-related gene SlPR5 directly, to regulate the fruit lycopene and resistance to Botrytis cinerea in tomato. In addition to regulating lycopene synthesis, SlMYB1 also regulates the content of soluble sugar, soluble protein and flavonoid in tomato. What's more, SlMYB1 could regulate the tomato fruit shape, making it smoother or flatter to prevent skin damage caused by vibration on fruits. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) further showed that SlMYB1 fruit-specific expression lines had multiple differentially expressed genes compared with those from wild-type plants, suggesting that SlMYB1 might have multiple roles in fruit nutritional quality control and resistance to stresses, which is a rare occurrence in previous studies. In summary, our results revealed that SlMYB1 was an essential multi-functional transcription factor that could regulate the lycopene and resistance to Botrytis cinerea, and change the shape of fruit in tomato plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaomeng Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of plant protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Haoqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of plant protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangyu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of plant protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Chongchong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of plant protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, College of plant protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Academy of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Yang Li
- Corresponding authors. E-mails: ;
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6
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Silva CJ, Adaskaveg JA, Mesquida-Pesci SD, Ortega-Salazar IB, Pattathil S, Zhang L, Hahn MG, van Kan JAL, Cantu D, Powell ALT, Blanco-Ulate B. Botrytis cinerea infection accelerates ripening and cell wall disassembly to promote disease in tomato fruit. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:575-590. [PMID: 36053186 PMCID: PMC9806607 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Postharvest fungal pathogens benefit from the increased host susceptibility that occurs during fruit ripening. In unripe fruit, pathogens often remain quiescent and unable to cause disease until ripening begins, emerging at this point into destructive necrotrophic lifestyles that quickly result in fruit decay. Here, we demonstrate that one such pathogen, Botrytis cinerea, actively induces ripening processes to facilitate infections and promote disease in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Assessments of ripening progression revealed that B. cinerea accelerated external coloration, ethylene production, and softening in unripe fruit, while mRNA sequencing of inoculated unripe fruit confirmed the corresponding upregulation of host genes involved in ripening processes, such as ethylene biosynthesis and cell wall degradation. Furthermore, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based glycomics technique used to assess fruit cell wall polysaccharides revealed remarkable similarities in the cell wall polysaccharide changes caused by both infections of unripe fruit and ripening of healthy fruit, particularly in the increased accessibility of pectic polysaccharides. Virulence and additional ripening assessment experiments with B. cinerea knockout mutants showed that induction of ripening depends on the ability to infect the host and break down pectin. The B. cinerea double knockout Δbc polygalacturonase1 Δbc polygalacturonase2 lacking two critical pectin degrading enzymes was incapable of emerging from quiescence even long after the fruit had ripened at its own pace, suggesting that the failure to accelerate ripening severely inhibits fungal survival on unripe fruit. These findings demonstrate that active induction of ripening in unripe tomato fruit is an important infection strategy for B. cinerea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Silva
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jaclyn A Adaskaveg
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | | | - Sivakumar Pattathil
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Mascoma LLC (Lallemand, Inc.), Lebanon, New Hampshire 03766, USA
| | - Lisha Zhang
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Center of Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael G Hahn
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jan A L van Kan
- Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dario Cantu
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Ann L T Powell
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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7
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Choi I, Ahn CS, Lee DH, Baek SA, Jung JW, Kim JK, Lee HS, Pai HS. Silencing of the Target of Rapamycin Complex Genes Stimulates Tomato Fruit Ripening. Mol Cells 2022; 45:660-672. [PMID: 35993163 PMCID: PMC9448650 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.2025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The target of rapamycin complex (TORC) plays a key role in plant cell growth and survival by regulating the gene expression and metabolism according to environmental information. TORC activates transcription, mRNA translation, and anabolic processes under favorable conditions, thereby promoting plant growth and development. Tomato fruit ripening is a complex developmental process promoted by ethylene and specific transcription factors. TORC is known to modulate leaf senescence in tomato. In this study, we investigated the function of TORC in tomato fruit ripening using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of the TORC genes, TOR, lethal with SEC13 protein 8 (LST8), and regulatory-associated protein of TOR (RAPTOR). Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression levels of tomato TORC genes were the highest in the orange stage during fruit development in Micro-Tom tomato. VIGS of these TORC genes using stage 2 tomato accelerated fruit ripening with premature orange/red coloring and decreased fruit growth, when control tobacco rattle virus 2 (TRV2)-myc fruits reached the mature green stage. TORC-deficient fruits showed early accumulation of carotenoid lycopene and reduced cellulose deposition in pericarp cell walls. The early ripening fruits had higher levels of transcripts related to fruit ripening transcription factors, ethylene biosynthesis, carotenoid synthesis, and cell wall modification. Finally, the early ripening phenotype in Micro-Tom tomato was reproduced in the commercial cultivar Moneymaker tomato by VIGS of the TORC genes. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TORC plays an important role in tomato fruit ripening by modulating the transcription of various ripening-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilyeong Choi
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Chang Sook Ahn
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Platform Technology Research Center, Corporate R&D, LG Chem/LG Science Park, Seoul 07796, Korea
| | - Du-Hwa Lee
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Seung-A Baek
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Jung Won Jung
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Jae Kwang Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Ho-Seok Lee
- Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Hyun-Sook Pai
- Department of Systems Biology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
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8
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Liu B, Santo Domingo M, Mayobre C, Martín-Hernández AM, Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J. Knock-Out of CmNAC-NOR Affects Melon Climacteric Fruit Ripening. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:878037. [PMID: 35755703 PMCID: PMC9226586 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.878037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Fruit ripening is an important process that affects fruit quality. A QTL in melon, ETHQV6.3, involved in climacteric ripening regulation, has been found to be encoded by CmNAC-NOR, a homologue of the tomato NOR gene. To further investigate CmNAC-NOR function, we obtained two CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutants (nor-3 and nor-1) in the climacteric Védrantais background. nor-3, containing a 3-bp deletion altering the NAC domain A, resulted in ~8 days delay in ripening without affecting fruit quality. In contrast, the 1-bp deletion in nor-1 resulted in a fully disrupted NAC domain, which completely blocked climacteric ripening. The nor-1 fruits did not produce ethylene, no abscission layer was formed and there was no external color change. Additionally, volatile components were dramatically altered, seeds were not well developed and flesh firmness was also altered. There was a delay in fruit ripening with the nor-1 allele in heterozygosis of ~20 days. Our results provide new information regarding the function of CmNAC-NOR in melon fruit ripening, suggesting that it is a potential target for modulating shelf life in commercial climacteric melon varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Santo Domingo
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Mayobre
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Montserrat Martín-Hernández
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Pujol
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Marta Pujol,
| | - Jordi Garcia-Mas
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
- Jordi Garcia-Mas,
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9
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Zheng H, Jin R, Liu Z, Sun C, Shi Y, Grierson D, Zhu C, Li S, Ferguson I, Chen K. Role of the tomato fruit ripening regulator MADS-RIN in resistance to Botrytis cinerea infection. FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Tomato MADS-RIN (RIN) transcription factor has been shown to be a master activator regulating fruit ripening. Recent studies have revealed that in addition to activating many other cell wall genes, it also represses expression of XTH5, XTH8, and MAN4a, which are positively related to excess flesh softening and cell wall degradation, which might indicate it has a potential role in pathogen resistance of ripening fruit. In this study, both wild-type (WT) and RIN-knockout (RIN-KO) mutant tomato fruit were infected with Botrytis cinerea to investigate the function of RIN in defense against pathogen infection during ripening. The results showed that RIN-KO fruit were much more sensitive to B. cinerea infection with larger lesion sizes. Transcriptome data and qRT-PCR assay indicate genes of phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) and chitinase (CHI) in RIN-KO fruit were reduced and their corresponding enzyme activities were decreased. Transcripts of genes encoding pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs), including PR1a, PRSTH2, and APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor (AP2/ERF) including ERF.A1, Pti5, Pti6, ERF.A4, were reduced in RIN-KO fruit compared to WT fruit. Moreover, in the absence of RIN the expression of genes encoding cell wall-modifying enzymes XTH5, XTH8, MAN4a has been reported to be elevated, which is potentially correlated with cell wall properties. When present, RIN represses transcription of XTH5 by activating ERF.F4, a class II (repressor class) ERF gene family member, and ERF.F5. These results support the conclusion that RIN enhances ripening-related resistance to gray mold infection by upregulating pathogen-resistance genes and defense enzyme activities as well as reducing accumulation of transcripts encoding some cell wall enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Donald Grierson
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou,China
- Plant and Crop Sciences Division, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough,UK
| | | | | | - Ian Ferguson
- Zhejiang University (Visiting Scientist), Hangzhou, China
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