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20 pages, 9293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Cytokinins during the Development of Strawberry Flowers and Receptacles

by Moises Pérez-Rojas, David Díaz-Ramírez, Clara Inés Ortíz-Ramírez, Rosa M. Galaz-Ávalos, Víctor M. Loyola-Vargas, Cristina Ferrándiz, Ma. del Rosario Abraham-Juárez and Nayelli Marsch-Martínez

Plants 2023, 12(21), 3672; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213672 - 25 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1518

Abstract

Cytokinins play a relevant role in flower and fruit development and plant yield. Strawberry fruits have a high commercial value, although what is known as the “fruit” is not a “true” botanical fruit because it develops from a non-reproductive organ (receptacle) on which [...] Read more.

Cytokinins play a relevant role in flower and fruit development and plant yield. Strawberry fruits have a high commercial value, although what is known as the “fruit” is not a “true” botanical fruit because it develops from a non-reproductive organ (receptacle) on which the true botanical fruits (achenes) are found. Given cytokinins’ roles in botanical fruits, it is important to understand their participation in the development of a non-botanical or accessory “fruit”. Therefore, in this work, the role of cytokinin in strawberry flowers and fruits was investigated by identifying and exploring the expression of homologous genes for different families that participate in the pathway, through publicly available genomic and expression data analyses. Next, trans-zeatin content in developing flowers and receptacles was determined. A high concentration was observed in flower buds and at anthesis and decreased as the fruit approached maturity. Moreover, the spatio-temporal expression pattern of selected CKX genes was evaluated and detected in receptacles at pre-anthesis stages. The results point to an important role and effect of cytokinins in flower and receptacle development, which is valuable both from a biological point of view and to improve yield and the quality of this fruit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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13 pages, 5235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological Changes and Transcriptomic Analysis throughout On-Tree Fruit Ripening Process in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.)

by Tania Dorta, Francisco Gil-Muñoz, Fany Carrasco, Elena Zuriaga, Gabino Ríos and Manuel Blasco

Plants 2023, 12(16), 2895; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12162895 - 8 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1848

Abstract

The involvement of effectors and transcriptional regulators in persimmon fruit maturation has been mostly approached by the literature under postharvest conditions. In order to elucidate the participation of these genes in the on-tree fruit maturation development, we have collected samples from seven persimmon [...] Read more.

The involvement of effectors and transcriptional regulators in persimmon fruit maturation has been mostly approached by the literature under postharvest conditions. In order to elucidate the participation of these genes in the on-tree fruit maturation development, we have collected samples from seven persimmon germplasm accessions at different developmental stages until physiological maturation. This study has focused on the expression analysis of 13 genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis and response pathways, as well as the evolution of important agronomical traits such as skin colour, weight, and firmness. Results revealed different gene expression patterns, with genes up- and down-regulated during fruit development progression. A principal component analysis was performed to correlate gene expression with agronomical traits. The decreasing expression of the ethylene biosynthetic genes DkACO1, DkACO2, and DkACS2, in concordance with other sensing (DkERS1) and transduction genes (DkERF18), provides a molecular mechanism for the previously described high production of ethylene in immature detached fruits. On the other side, DkERF8 and DkERF16 are postulated to induce fruit softening and skin colour change during natural persimmon fruit ripening via DkXTH9 and DkPSY activation, respectively. This study provides valuable information for a better understanding of the ethylene signalling pathway and its regulation during on-tree fruit ripening in persimmon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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19 pages, 3011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

TM3 and STM3 Promote Flowering Together with FUL2 and MBP20, but Act Antagonistically in Inflorescence Branching in Tomato

by Iris E. Zahn, Chris Roelofsen, Gerco C. Angenent and Marian Bemer

Plants 2023, 12(15), 2754; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152754 - 25 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1537

Abstract

The moment at which a plant transitions to reproductive development is paramount to its life cycle and is strictly controlled by many genes. The transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) plays a central role in this process in Arabidopsis. [...] Read more.

The moment at which a plant transitions to reproductive development is paramount to its life cycle and is strictly controlled by many genes. The transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) plays a central role in this process in Arabidopsis. However, the role of SOC1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has been sparsely studied. Here, we investigated the function of four tomato SOC1 homologs in the floral transition and inflorescence development. We thoroughly characterized the SOC1-like clade throughout the Solanaceae and selected four tomato homologs that are dynamically expressed upon the floral transition. We show that of these homologs, TOMATO MADS 3 (TM3) and SISTER OF TM3 (STM3) promote the primary and sympodial transition to flowering, while MADS-BOX PROTEIN 23 (MBP23) and MBP18 hardly contribute to flowering initiation in the indeterminate cultivar Moneyberg. Protein–protein interaction assays and whole-transcriptome analysis during reproductive meristem development revealed that TM3 and STM3 interact and share many targets with FRUITFULL (FUL) homologs, including cytokinin regulators. Furthermore, we observed that mutating TM3/STM3 affects inflorescence development, but counteracts the inflorescence-branching phenotype of ful2 mbp20. Collectively, this indicates that TM3/STM3 promote the floral transition together with FUL2/MBP20, while these transcription factors have opposite functions in inflorescence development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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22 pages, 6480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptional Regulation of Female and Male Flower Bud Initiation and Development in Pecan (Carya illinoensis)

by Yifei Xie, Zhiying Hou, Miao Shi, Qiaoyan Wang, Zhengfu Yang, Kean-Jin Lim and Zhengjia Wang

Plants 2023, 12(6), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061378 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2039

Abstract

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) nuts are delicious and rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health. Their yield is closely related to several factors, such as the ratio of female and male flowers. We sampled and paraffin-sectioned female and [...] Read more.

Pecan (Carya illinoensis) nuts are delicious and rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health. Their yield is closely related to several factors, such as the ratio of female and male flowers. We sampled and paraffin-sectioned female and male flower buds for one year and determined the stages of initial flower bud differentiation, floral primordium formation, and pistil and stamen primordium formation. We then performed transcriptome sequencing on these stages. Our data analysis suggested that FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 play a role in flower bud differentiation. J3 was highly expressed in the early stage of female flower buds and may play a role in regulating flower bud differentiation and flowering time. Genes such as NF-YA1 and STM were expressed during male flower bud development. NF-YA1 belongs to the NF-Y transcription factor family and may initiate downstream events leading to floral transformation. STM promoted the transformation of leaf buds to flower buds. AP2 may have been involved in the establishment of floral meristem characteristics and the determination of floral organ characteristics. Our results lay a foundation for the control and subsequent regulation of female and male flower bud differentiation and yield improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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16 pages, 616 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gene Functional Networks from Time Expression Profiles: A Constructive Approach Demonstrated in Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

by Alan Flores-Díaz, Christian Escoto-Sandoval, Felipe Cervantes-Hernández, José J. Ordaz-Ortiz, Corina Hayano-Kanashiro, Humberto Reyes-Valdés, Ana Garcés-Claver, Neftalí Ochoa-Alejo and Octavio Martínez

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051148 - 3 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1813

Abstract

Gene co-expression networks are powerful tools to understand functional interactions between genes. However, large co-expression networks are difficult to interpret and do not guarantee that the relations found will be true for different genotypes. Statistically verified time expression profiles give information about significant [...] Read more.

Gene co-expression networks are powerful tools to understand functional interactions between genes. However, large co-expression networks are difficult to interpret and do not guarantee that the relations found will be true for different genotypes. Statistically verified time expression profiles give information about significant changes in expressions through time, and genes with highly correlated time expression profiles, which are annotated in the same biological process, are likely to be functionally connected. A method to obtain robust networks of functionally related genes will be useful to understand the complexity of the transcriptome, leading to biologically relevant insights. We present an algorithm to construct gene functional networks for genes annotated in a given biological process or other aspects of interest. We assume that there are genome-wide time expression profiles for a set of representative genotypes of the species of interest. The method is based on the correlation of time expression profiles, bound by a set of thresholds that assure both, a given false discovery rate, and the discard of correlation outliers. The novelty of the method consists in that a gene expression relation must be repeatedly found in a given set of independent genotypes to be considered valid. This automatically discards relations particular to specific genotypes, assuring a network robustness, which can be set a priori. Additionally, we present an algorithm to find transcription factors candidates for regulating hub genes within a network. The algorithms are demonstrated with data from a large experiment studying gene expression during the development of the fruit in a diverse set of chili pepper genotypes. The algorithm is implemented and demonstrated in a new version of the publicly available R package “Salsa” (version 1.0). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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16 pages, 8343 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth

by Greice Lubini, Pedro Boscariol Ferreira, Andréa Carla Quiapim, Michael Santos Brito, Viviane Cossalter, Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius and Maria Helena S. Goldman

Plants 2023, 12(2), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020329 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1727

Abstract

Successful plant reproduction and fruit formation depend on adequate pollen and pistil development, and pollen–pistil interactions. In Nicotiana tabacum, pollen tubes grow through the intercellular spaces of pistil-specialized tissues, stigmatic secretory zone, and stylar transmitting tissue (STT). These intercellular spaces are supposed [...] Read more.

Successful plant reproduction and fruit formation depend on adequate pollen and pistil development, and pollen–pistil interactions. In Nicotiana tabacum, pollen tubes grow through the intercellular spaces of pistil-specialized tissues, stigmatic secretory zone, and stylar transmitting tissue (STT). These intercellular spaces are supposed to be formed by the modulation of cell wall pectin esterification. Previously we have identified a gene preferentially expressed in pistils encoding a putative pectin acetylesterase (PAE), named NtPAE1. Here, we characterized the NtPAE1 gene and performed genome-wide and phylogenetic analyses of PAEs. We identified 30 PAE sequences in the N. tabacum genome, distributed in four clades. The expression of NtPAE1 was assessed by RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization. We confirmed NtPAE1 preferential expression in stigmas/styles and ovaries and demonstrated its high expression in the STT. Structural predictions and comparisons between NtPAE1 and functional enzymes validated its identity as a PAE. Transgenic plants were produced, overexpressing and silencing the NtPAE1 gene. Overexpressed plants displayed smaller flowers while silencing plants exhibited collapsed pollen grains, which hardly germinate. NtPAE1 silencing plants do not produce fruits, due to impaired pollen tube growth in their STTs. Thus, NtPAE1 is an essential enzyme regulating pectin modifications in flowers and, ultimately, in plant reproduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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Review

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34 pages, 2659 KiB

Open AccessReview

New Advances in the Study of Regulation of Tomato Flowering-Related Genes Using Biotechnological Approaches

by Denis Baranov, Sergey Dolgov and Vadim Timerbaev

Plants 2024, 13(3), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030359 - 25 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1525

Abstract

The tomato is a convenient object for studying reproductive processes, which has become a classic. Such complex processes as flowering and fruit setting require an understanding of the fundamental principles of molecular interaction, the structures of genes and proteins, the construction of signaling [...] Read more.

The tomato is a convenient object for studying reproductive processes, which has become a classic. Such complex processes as flowering and fruit setting require an understanding of the fundamental principles of molecular interaction, the structures of genes and proteins, the construction of signaling pathways for transcription regulation, including the synchronous actions of cis-regulatory elements (promoter and enhancer), trans-regulatory elements (transcription factors and regulatory RNAs), and transposable elements and epigenetic regulators (DNA methylation and acetylation, chromatin structure). Here, we discuss the current state of research on tomatoes (2017–2023) devoted to studying the function of genes that regulate flowering and signal regulation systems using genome-editing technologies, RNA interference gene silencing, and gene overexpression, including heterologous expression. Although the central candidate genes for these regulatory components have been identified, a complete picture of their relationship has yet to be formed. Therefore, this review summarizes the latest achievements related to studying the processes of flowering and fruit set. This work attempts to display the gene interaction scheme to better understand the events under consideration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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12 pages, 969 KiB

Open AccessReview

Floral Homeotic Factors: A Question of Specificity

by Kevin Goslin, Andrea Finocchio and Frank Wellmer

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051128 - 2 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2900

Abstract

MADS-domain transcription factors are involved in the control of a multitude of processes in eukaryotes, and in plants, they play particularly important roles during reproductive development. Among the members of this large family of regulatory proteins are the floral organ identity factors, which [...] Read more.

MADS-domain transcription factors are involved in the control of a multitude of processes in eukaryotes, and in plants, they play particularly important roles during reproductive development. Among the members of this large family of regulatory proteins are the floral organ identity factors, which specify the identities of the different types of floral organs in a combinatorial manner. Much has been learned over the past three decades about the function of these master regulators. For example, it has been shown that they have similar DNA-binding activities and that their genome-wide binding patterns exhibit large overlaps. At the same time, it appears that only a minority of binding events lead to changes in gene expression and that the different floral organ identity factors have distinct sets of target genes. Thus, binding of these transcription factors to the promoters of target genes alone may not be sufficient for their regulation. How these master regulators achieve specificity in a developmental context is currently not well understood. Here, we review what is known about their activities and highlight open questions that need to be addressed to gain more detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying their functions. We discuss evidence for the involvement of cofactors as well as the results from studies on transcription factors in animals that may be instructive for a better understanding of how the floral organ identity factors achieve regulatory specificity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants)

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