title: Transcriptional control of fleshy fruit development and ripening.
abstract: Fleshy fruits have evolved to be attractive to frugivores in order to enhance seed dispersal, and have become an indispensable part of the human diet. Here we review the recent advances in the understanding of transcriptional regulation of fleshy fruit development and ripening with a focus on tomato. While aspects of fruit development are probably conserved throughout the angiosperms, including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, it is shown that the likely orthologues of Arabidopsis genes have distinct functions in fleshy fruits. The model for the study of fleshy fruit development is tomato, because of the availability of single gene mutants and transgenic knock-down lines. In other species, our knowledge is often incomplete or absent. Tomato fruit size and shape are co-determined by transcription factors acting during formation of the ovary. Other transcription factors play a role in fruit chloroplast formation, and upon ripening impact quality aspects such as secondary metabolite content. In tomato, the transcription factors NON-RIPENING (NOR), COLORLESS NON-RIPENING (CNR), and RIPENING INHIBITOR (MADS-RIN) in concert with ethylene signalling regulate ripening, possibly in response to a developmental switch. Additional components include TOMATO AGAMOUS-LIKE1 (TAGL1), APETALA2a (AP2a), and FRUITFULL (FUL1 and FUL2). The links between this highly connected regulatory network and downstream effectors modulating colour, texture, and flavour are still relatively poorly understood. Intertwined with this network is post-transcriptional regulation by fruit-expressed microRNAs targeting several of these transcription factors. This important developmental process is also governed by changes in DNA methylation levels and possibly chromatin remodelling.
authors: Molecular Plant Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, 6700 ET Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Rumyana
authors: R
authors: Karlova
authors: Plant and Crop Science Division, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Chapman
authors: University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Karine
authors: K
authors: David
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, 6700 ET Wageningen, The Netherlands Business Unit Bioscience, Plant Research International, 6700 AP Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Gerco C
authors: GC
authors: Angenent
authors: Plant and Crop Science Division, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
authors: Graham B
authors: GB
authors: Seymour
authors: Business Unit Bioscience, Plant Research International, 6700 AP Wageningen, The Netherlands Chair group Bioinformatics, Wageningen University, 6700 ET Wageningen, The Netherlands Ruud.deMaagd@wur.nl.
authors: Ruud A
authors: RA
authors: de Maagd
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Ethylene; fruit development; ripening; tomato; transcription factors; transcriptional regulation.