title: Solanum lycopersicum AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 9 regulates cell division activity during early tomato fruit development.
abstract: The transformation of the ovary into a fruit after successful completion of pollination and fertilization has been associated with many changes at transcriptomic level. These changes are part of a dynamic and complex regulatory network that is controlled by phytohormones, with a major role for auxin. One of the auxin-related genes differentially expressed upon fruit set and early fruit development in tomato is Solanum lycopersicum AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 9 (SlARF9). Here, the functional analysis of this ARF is described. SlARF9 expression was found to be auxin-responsive and SlARF9 mRNA levels were high in the ovules, placenta, and pericarp of pollinated ovaries, but also in other plant tissues with high cell division activity, such as the axillary meristems and root meristems. Transgenic plants with increased SlARF9 mRNA levels formed fruits that were smaller than wild-type fruits because of reduced cell division activity, whereas transgenic lines in which SlARF9 mRNA levels were reduced showed the opposite phenotype. The expression analysis, together with the phenotype of the transgenic lines, suggests that, in tomato, ARF9 negatively controls cell division during early fruit development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolters-Arts
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bernardus C J
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Schimmel
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Catharina L M
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Stultiens
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter F M
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.affiliation: Computational and Systems Biology, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.affiliation: Plant Research International, Wageningen University & Research Plant Breeding, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yury M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tikunov
authors.affiliation: Plant Research International, Wageningen University & Research Plant Breeding, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arnoud G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bovy
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Celestina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Vriezen
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands I.Rieu@science.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rieu
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D056771:Ovule / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified
chemical_list: D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 9 (ARF9); Auxin; cell division; fruit development; fruit size; tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).