How Tomato Genes BBX16 and BBX17 Affect Plant Reproduction

Jim Crocker
24th June, 2024

How Tomato Genes BBX16 and BBX17 Affect Plant Reproduction

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study by the University of Verona focused on the impact of two microProteins, SlBBX16 and SlBBX17, on flowering and fruit development in Arabidopsis and tomato plants
  • Overexpression of SlBBX16 and SlBBX17 in Arabidopsis delayed flowering, similar to the effect of native BBX microProteins miP1a and miP1b
  • In tomato plants, SlBBX17 prolonged the flowering period and reduced the number and size of ripe fruits, while SlBBX16 delayed fruit production up to the breaker stage
The University of Verona recently conducted a study on two microProteins, SlBBX16 and SlBBX17, from the BBX family in tomato plants and their impact on reproductive development when expressed in Arabidopsis and tomato[1]. BBX proteins are B-Box zinc finger proteins acting as transcription factors and regulators of protein complexes, playing crucial roles in plant development. The study aimed to explore how these microProteins influence flowering and fruit development. In Arabidopsis, overexpression of miP1a and miP1b, BBX family microProteins, delayed flowering by modulating the activity of other BBX proteins, including CONSTANS, which activates the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T[2]. The University of Verona's study found that heterologous expression of SlBBX16 and SlBBX17 in Arabidopsis also delayed flowering, though the effect was weaker compared to the native miP1a/b overexpression. When these microProteins were overexpressed in tomato, SlBBX17 prolonged the flowering period and downregulated the flowering inhibitors Self Pruning (SP) and SP5G. This finding aligns with previous research indicating that photoperiod response genes like Ppd-H1 and CONSTANS play significant roles in flowering time regulation[2]. Additionally, SlBBX16 and SlBBX17 were found to hetero-oligomerize with TCMP-2, a cystine-knot peptide involved in flowering pattern regulation and early fruit development in tomato[3]. This interaction suggests a complex regulatory network influencing reproductive development. The overexpression of SlBBX17 in tomato led to a decrease in the number and size of ripe fruits compared to wild-type (WT) plants. In contrast, SlBBX16 overexpression caused a delay in fruit production up to the breaker stage. These alterations were associated with changes in the expression of GA-responsive genes, indicating that these microProteins impact gibberellin signaling pathways, which are known to influence flowering and fruit development. This study provides new insights into the role of BBX microProteins in plant reproductive development. By identifying the effects of SlBBX16 and SlBBX17 on flowering and fruit development in Arabidopsis and tomato, the research highlights the potential for manipulating these proteins to optimize crop yield and flowering time. The findings also suggest that the BBX protein family has conserved functions across different plant species, as seen in the modulation of CONSTANS activity and the regulation of flowering time[2][4][5]. Overall, the University of Verona's study expands our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant development and offers potential applications in agricultural biotechnology for improving crop performance.

VegetablesGeneticsPlant Science

References

Main Study

1) Involvement of the tomato BBX16 and BBX17 microProteins in reproductive development.

Published 21st June, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108873

Related Studies

2) Functional characterisation of HvCO1, the barley (Hordeum vulgare) flowering time ortholog of CONSTANS.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2011.04839.x

3) Anti-angiogenic effects of two cystine-knot miniproteins from tomato fruit.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.01154.x

4) Four Tomato FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like Proteins Act Antagonistically to Regulate Floral Initiation.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.01213

5) BBX proteins in green plants: insights into their evolution, structure, feature and functional diversification.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2013.08.037


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