Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato

MADS-box transcription factors have crucial functions in numerous physiological and biochemical processes during plant growth and development. Previous studies have reported that two MADS-box genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1,</i> play important regulatory roles in the sep...

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Main Authors: Jianling Zhang, Zongli Hu, Qiaoli Xie, Tingting Dong, Jing Li, Guoping Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-02-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2489
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author Jianling Zhang
Zongli Hu
Qiaoli Xie
Tingting Dong
Jing Li
Guoping Chen
author_facet Jianling Zhang
Zongli Hu
Qiaoli Xie
Tingting Dong
Jing Li
Guoping Chen
author_sort Jianling Zhang
collection DOAJ
description MADS-box transcription factors have crucial functions in numerous physiological and biochemical processes during plant growth and development. Previous studies have reported that two MADS-box genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1,</i> play important regulatory roles in the sepal development of tomato, respectively. However, the functional relationships between these two genes are still unknown. In order to investigate this, we simultaneously studied these two genes in tomato. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they were classified into the same branch of the SEPALLATA (SEP) clade. qRT-PCR displayed that both <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> transcripts are preferentially accumulated in sepals, and are increased with flower development. During sepal development, <i>SlMBP21</i> is increased but <i>SlMADS1</i> is decreased. Using the RNAi, tomato plants with reduced <i>SlMBP21</i> mRNA generated enlarged and fused sepals, while simultaneous inhibition of <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> led to larger (longer and wider) and fused sepals than that in <i>SlMBP21</i>-RNAi lines. qRT-PCR results exhibited that the transcripts of genes relating to sepal development, ethylene, auxin and cell expansion were dramatically changed in <i>SlMBP21</i>-RNAi sepals, especially in <i>SlMBP21</i>-<i>SlMADS1</i>-RNAi sepals. Yeast two-hybrid assay displayed that SlMBP21 can interact with SlMBP21, SlAP2a, TAGL1 and RIN, and SlMADS1 can interact with SlAP2a and RIN, respectively. In conclusion, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> cooperatively regulate sepal development in tomato by impacting the expression or activities of other related regulators or via interactions with other regulatory proteins.
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spelling doaj.art-9e8d71700a0647df93d7f9676c8b20fa2024-03-12T16:45:10ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672024-02-01255248910.3390/ijms25052489Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in TomatoJianling Zhang0Zongli Hu1Qiaoli Xie2Tingting Dong3Jing Li4Guoping Chen5Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Biology of Tomato, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Biology of Tomato, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Biology of Tomato, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Biology of Tomato, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaLaboratory of Molecular Biology of Tomato, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaMADS-box transcription factors have crucial functions in numerous physiological and biochemical processes during plant growth and development. Previous studies have reported that two MADS-box genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1,</i> play important regulatory roles in the sepal development of tomato, respectively. However, the functional relationships between these two genes are still unknown. In order to investigate this, we simultaneously studied these two genes in tomato. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they were classified into the same branch of the SEPALLATA (SEP) clade. qRT-PCR displayed that both <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> transcripts are preferentially accumulated in sepals, and are increased with flower development. During sepal development, <i>SlMBP21</i> is increased but <i>SlMADS1</i> is decreased. Using the RNAi, tomato plants with reduced <i>SlMBP21</i> mRNA generated enlarged and fused sepals, while simultaneous inhibition of <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> led to larger (longer and wider) and fused sepals than that in <i>SlMBP21</i>-RNAi lines. qRT-PCR results exhibited that the transcripts of genes relating to sepal development, ethylene, auxin and cell expansion were dramatically changed in <i>SlMBP21</i>-RNAi sepals, especially in <i>SlMBP21</i>-<i>SlMADS1</i>-RNAi sepals. Yeast two-hybrid assay displayed that SlMBP21 can interact with SlMBP21, SlAP2a, TAGL1 and RIN, and SlMADS1 can interact with SlAP2a and RIN, respectively. In conclusion, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i> cooperatively regulate sepal development in tomato by impacting the expression or activities of other related regulators or via interactions with other regulatory proteins.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2489MADS-boxtomato<i>SlMBP21</i><i>SlMADS1</i>sepal sizefusion
spellingShingle Jianling Zhang
Zongli Hu
Qiaoli Xie
Tingting Dong
Jing Li
Guoping Chen
Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
MADS-box
tomato
<i>SlMBP21</i>
<i>SlMADS1</i>
sepal size
fusion
title Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
title_full Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
title_fullStr Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
title_full_unstemmed Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
title_short Two SEPALLATA MADS-Box Genes, <i>SlMBP21</i> and <i>SlMADS1</i>, Have Cooperative Functions Required for Sepal Development in Tomato
title_sort two sepallata mads box genes i slmbp21 i and i slmads1 i have cooperative functions required for sepal development in tomato
topic MADS-box
tomato
<i>SlMBP21</i>
<i>SlMADS1</i>
sepal size
fusion
url https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/5/2489
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