title: Characterization of vegetative inflorescence (mc-vin) mutant provides new insight into the role of MACROCALYX in regulating inflorescence development of tomato.
abstract: Inflorescence development is a key factor of plant productivity, as it determines flower number. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate inflorescence architecture is critical for reproductive success and crop yield. In this study, a new mutant, vegetative inflorescence (mc-vin), was isolated from the screening of a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) T-DNA mutant collection. The mc-vin mutant developed inflorescences that reverted to vegetative growth after forming two to three flowers, indicating that the mutated gene is essential for the maintenance of inflorescence meristem identity. The T-DNA was inserted into the promoter region of the MACROCALYX (MC) gene; this result together with complementation test and expression analyses proved that mc-vin is a new knock-out allele of MC. Double combinations between mc-vin and jointless (j) and single flower truss (sft) inflorescence mutants showed that MC has pleiotropic effects on the reproductive phase, and that it interacts with SFT and J to control floral transition and inflorescence fate in tomato. In addition, MC expression was mis-regulated in j and sft mutants whereas J and SFT were significantly up-regulated in the mc-vin mutant. Together, these results provide new evidences about MC function as part of the genetic network regulating the development of tomato inflorescence meristem.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Yuste-Lisbona
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinet
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Lozano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (UPV-CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Avenida de los Naranjos s/n. 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Benito
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (UPV-CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia. Avenida de los Naranjos s/n. 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Trinidad
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Angosto
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lozano
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000235:genetics*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000502:physiology*; D018519:Meristem; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C036483:T-DNA