title: The parthenocarpic hydra mutant reveals a new function for a SPOROCYTELESS-like gene in the control of fruit set in tomato.
abstract: Fruit set is an essential process to ensure successful sexual plant reproduction. The development of the flower into a fruit is actively repressed in the absence of pollination. However, some cultivars from a few species are able to develop seedless fruits overcoming the standard restriction of unpollinated ovaries to growth. We report here the identification of the tomato hydra mutant that produces seedless (parthenocarpic) fruits. Seedless fruit production in hydra plants is linked to the absence of both male and female sporocyte development. The HYDRA gene is therefore essential for the initiation of sporogenesis in tomato. Using positional cloning, virus-induced gene silencing and expression analysis experiments, we identified the HYDRA gene and demonstrated that it encodes the tomato orthologue of SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE (SPL/NZZ) of Arabidopsis. We found that the precocious growth of the ovary is associated with changes in the expression of genes involved in gibberellin (GA) metabolism. Our results support the conservation of the function of SPL-like genes in the control of sporogenesis in plants. Moreover, this study uncovers a new function for the tomato SlSPL/HYDRA gene in the control of fruit initiation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rojas-Gracia
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Edelin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roque
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Maricruz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rochina
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: María Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Angarita-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, Ctra de Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martín
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología Agroalimentaria (BITAL), Universidad de Almería, Ctra de Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cañas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: José Pío
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, Edf. 8E. C/Ing. Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, 46011, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1272-3631
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Mena
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant; D055993:Germ Cells, Plant / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: 
  SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE
  ; Solanum lycopersicum (tomato); fruit development; parthenocarpy; sporogenesis