Auxin Response Factor SlARF2 Is an Essential Component of the Regulatory Mechanism Controlling Fruit Ripening in Tomato

Ethylene is the main regulator of climacteric fruit ripening, by contrast the putative role of other phytohormones in this process remains poorly understood. The present study brings auxin signaling components into the mechanism regulating tomato fruit ripening through the functional characterizatio...

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Published in:PLoS genetics 2015-12, Vol.11 (12), p.e1005649-e1005649
Main Authors: Hao, Yanwei, Hu, Guojian, Breitel, Dario, Liu, Mingchun, Mila, Isabelle, Frasse, Pierre, Fu, Yongyao, Aharoni, Asaph, Bouzayen, Mondher, Zouine, Mohamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biosynthesis
Cell Nucleus - genetics
Cell Nucleus - metabolism
Ethylenes - metabolism
Fruit - genetics
Fruit - physiology
Fruits
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Genes
Genotype & phenotype
Indoleacetic Acids - metabolism
Life Sciences
Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics
Lycopersicon esculentum - physiology
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant Proteins - metabolism
Plants, Genetically Modified
Proteins
RNA Interference
Tomatoes
Vegetal Biology
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Summary:Ethylene is the main regulator of climacteric fruit ripening, by contrast the putative role of other phytohormones in this process remains poorly understood. The present study brings auxin signaling components into the mechanism regulating tomato fruit ripening through the functional characterization of Auxin Response Factor2 (SlARF2) which encodes a downstream component of auxin signaling. Two paralogs, SlARF2A and SlARF2B, are found in the tomato genome, both displaying a marked ripening-associated expression but distinct responsiveness to ethylene and auxin. Down-regulation of either SlARF2A or SlARF2B resulted in ripening defects while simultaneous silencing of both genes led to severe ripening inhibition suggesting a functional redundancy among the two ARFs. Tomato fruits under-expressing SlARF2 produced less climacteric ethylene and exhibited a dramatic down-regulation of the key ripening regulators RIN, CNR, NOR and TAGL1. Ethylene treatment failed to reverse the non-ripening phenotype and the expression of ethylene signaling and biosynthesis genes was strongly altered in SlARF2 down-regulated fruits. Although both SlARF proteins are transcriptional repressors the data indicate they work as positive regulators of tomato fruit ripening. Altogether, the study defines SlARF2 as a new component of the regulatory network controlling the ripening process in tomato.
ISSN:1553-7404
1553-7390
1553-7404
DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005649