The auxin receptor homologue in Solanum lycopersicum stimulates tomato fruit set and leaf morphogenesis.
TIR1 and its homologues act as auxin receptors and play a crucial role in auxin-mediated plant development. While the functions of auxin receptor genes have been widely studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, there has been no report on the consequences of TIR1 overexpression in plants that regulate fruit development. Here a putative tomato auxin receptor gene, homologous to Arabidopsis AtTIR1, is reported. This gene, designated as Solanum lycopersicum TIR1 (SlTIR1), was found to be expressed in all the parts of floral buds and flowers at anthesis stages. From bud to anthesis, SlTIR1 expression increases slightly in sepal tissue and decreases dramatically in stamen. From anthesis to post-anthesis when fruit set is expected to occur, the expression of SlTIR1 declines in the ovary and sepal. Overexpression of SlTIR1 results in a pleiotropic phenotype including parthenocarpic fruit formation and leaf morphology. Furthermore, SlTIR1 overexpression altered transcript levels of a number of auxin-responsive genes. The present data demonstrate that the tomato SlTIR1 gene plays an important role at the stages of flower-to-fruit transition and leaf formation.
Genetic Engineering Research Center, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Key Lab of Functional Gene and New Regulation Technologies under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, 400030, PR China.
Zhenxin
Z
Ren
Zhengguo
Z
Li
Qing
Q
Miao
Yingwu
Y
Yang
Wei
W
Deng
Yanwei
Y
Hao
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000302:isolation & purification; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010312:Parthenogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D021381:Protein Transport; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C046131:auxin receptor, plant