Induced ovule-to-flower switch by interfering with SlIMA activity in tomato. (3rd June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bollier, N.; Sicard, A.; Gonzalez, N.; Chevalier, C.; Hernould, M.; Delmas, F.
• Is Part Of: Plant signaling & behavior. Volume 13:Number 6(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-06-03
• Subjects: Tomato -- floral meristem termination -- SlIMA -- MIF -- flower development; Plant ecophysiology -- Periodicals; Plant cellular signal transduction -- Periodicals; Plant cellular signal transduction; Plant ecophysiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 581
• DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1473687
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1559-2316

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY in tomato (SlIMA) and MINI ZINC FINGER 2 in Arabidopsis (AtMIF2), two members of the MINI ZINC FINGER family (MIF), are involved in the regulation of flower and ovule development. MIF proteins possess a unique non-canonical zinc-finger domain that confers the capacity to interact with other protein partners. The characterization of SlIMA and AtMIF2 gain- and loss-of-function transgenic lines in Solanum lycopersicum and Arabidopsis thaliana respectively, allowed the demonstration of their conserved functional role in the termination of floral stem cell maintenance. During early floral development, the expression of Sl IMA and At MIF2 is induced by the MADS-Box transcription factor AGAMOUS (AG). Then, SlIMA or AtMIF2 protein recruits the C2 H2 zinc finger KNUCKLES (KNU), in a transcriptional repressor complex together with TOPLESS (TPL) and HISTONE DEACETYLASE19 (HDA19). This complex binds to the WUSCHEL ( WUS ) locus leading to its repression. To further characterize the role of these interactions in flower development, we have investigated the effects of a dominant negative form of SlIMA, SlIMA ch that leads to spectacular phenotypes, including ovule conversion into a floral meristem.