A SHATTERPROOF-like gene controls ripening in non-climacteric strawberries, and auxin and abscisic acid antagonistically affect its expression

Abstract

Strawberries (Fragaria×ananassa) are false fruits the ripening of which follows the non-climacteric pathway. The role played by a C-type MADS-box gene [SHATTERPROOF-like (FaSHP)] in the ripening of strawberries has been studied by transiently modifying gene expression through either over-expression or RNA-interference-mediated down-regulation. The altered expression of the FaSHP gene caused a change in the time taken by the over-expressing and the down- regulated fruits to attain the pink stage, which was slightly shorter and much longer, respectively, compared to controls. In parallel with the modified ripening times, the metabolome components and the expression of ripening-related genes also appeared different in the transiently modified fruits. Differences in the response time of the analysed genes suggest that FaSHP can control the expression of ripening genes either directly or indirectly through other transcription factor-encoding genes. Because fleshy strawberries are false fruits these results indicate that C-type MADS-box genes like SHATTERPROOF may act as modulators of ripening in fleshy fruit-like structures independently of their anatomical origin. Treatment of strawberries with either auxin or abscisic acid had antagonistic impacts on both the expression of FaSHP and the expression of ripening-related genes and metabolome components.

An R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor Regulates Eugenol Production in Ripe Strawberry Fruit Receptacles

“…In both climacteric and nonclimacteric fruits, water deficiency generated a rise in ABA content, which accelerated ripening and was accompanied by changes in both metabolites and gene expression (Castellarin et al, 2007;Gong et al, 2010). This dual regulation has also been observed for other genes whose expression is also up-regulated throughout the strawberry fruit-ripening process (Cumplido-Laso et al, 2012;Daminato et al, 2013;Molina-Hidalgo et al, 2013) and molecularly supported both the proposal of PerkinsVeazie (1995) and the findings described by Chai et al (2011), and Medina-Puche et al (2014. This hormonally regulated expression pattern was also similar to that observed for the FaMYB10 gene (MedinaPuche et al, 2014), and it strengthens the relationship between FaMYB10 and FaEOBII.…”

Genome-wide identification, characterization of the MADS-box gene family in Chinese jujube and their involvement in flower development

“…SHATTERPROOF-like genes have been shown to regulate fruit ripening in Arabidopsis 33 , peach 34 , strawberry 35 , and oil palm 36 . In our study, ZjMADS46 exhibited the highest expression in the pistil (Fig.…”

Mechanisms regulating auxin action during fruit development

“…It has been proposed that auxin produced by the seed in growing fruit acts to prevent ripening and premature dispersal before the seeds are fully developed (Sundberg and Østergaard ). Accordingly, a number of genes that are usually upregulated during ripening are repressed by auxin (Aharoni et al ), including the strawberry SHATTERPROOF gene, which encodes a MADS box transcription factor that controls a variety of ripening related events (Daminato et al ). Although these studies emphasize the function of auxin as a repressor of genes involved in the ripening process, a more complex role of auxin regulating this process is currently emerging (Trainotti et al ).…”