The tomato homolog of CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1 is required for the maternal control of seed maturation, jasmonate-signaled defense responses, and glandular trichome development.
Jasmonic acid (JA) is a fatty acid-derived signaling molecule that regulates a broad range of plant defense responses against herbivores and some microbial pathogens. Molecular genetic studies in Arabidopsis have established that JA also performs a critical role in anther and pollen development but is not essential for other developmental aspects of the plant's life cycle. Here, we describe the phenotypic and molecular characterization of a sterile mutant of tomato (jasmonic acid-insensitive1 [jai1]) that is defective in JA signaling. Although the mutant exhibited reduced pollen viability, sterility was caused by a defect in the maternal control of seed maturation, which was associated with the loss of accumulation of JA-regulated proteinase inhibitor proteins in reproductive tissues. jai1 plants exhibited several defense-related phenotypes, including the inability to express JA-responsive genes, severely compromised resistance to two-spotted spider mites, and abnormal development of glandular trichomes. We demonstrate that these defects are caused by the loss of function of the tomato homolog of CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1 (COI1), an F-box protein that is required for JA-signaled processes in Arabidopsis. These findings indicate that the JA/COI1 signaling pathway regulates distinct developmental processes in different plants and suggest a role for JA in the promotion of glandular trichome-based defenses.
Li
Lei
L
Department of Energy-Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
Zhao
Youfu
Y
McCaig
Bonnie C
BC
Wingerd
Byron A
BA
Wang
Jihong
J
Whalon
Mark E
ME
Pichersky
Eran
E
Howe
Gregg A
GA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D022081:Cell Surface Extensions / Q000502:physiology*; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D054883:Oxylipins; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D040102:Tetranychidae / Q000254:growth & development
D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C011006:jasmonic acid