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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #377559
Research Project: Genetics, Epigenetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology for Fruit and Vegetable Quality

Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research

Title: Ectopic expression of miRNA172 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) reveals novel function in fruit development through regulation of an AP2 transcription factor

Author
item CHUNG, MI-YOUNG - Boyce Thompson Institute
item NATH, UJJAL KUMAR - Bangladesh Agricultural University
item VREBALOV, JULIA - Boyce Thompson Institute
item GAPPER, NIGEL - Boyce Thompson Institute
item LI, JE MIN - Boyce Thompson Institute
item KIM, CHANG KIL - Kyungpook National University
item Giovannoni, James

Submitted to: BMC Plant Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/2020
Publication Date: 6/19/2020
Citation: Chung, M., Nath, U., Vrebalov, J., Gapper, N., Li, J., Kim, C., Giovannoni, J.J. 2020. Ectopic expression of miRNA172 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) reveals novel function in fruit development through regulation of an AP2 transcription factor. Biomed Central (BMC) Plant Biology. 20:283. doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02489-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02489-y

Interpretive Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that can influence gene expression via diverse mechanisms. Tomato is a fruit widely consumed for its flavor, culinary attributes, and high nutritional quality. Tomato fruit are climacteric and fleshy, and their ripening is regulated by endogenous and exogenous signals operating through a coordinated genetic network. Much research has been conducted on mechanisms of tomato fruit ripening, but the roles of miRNA-regulated repression/expression of specific regulatory genes are not well documented. Here we demonstrate that a specific miRNA (miR172) plays a critical role in regulation of a transcription factor important in ethylene synthesis and ripening control of tomato.

Technical Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate that miR172 specifically targets four SlAP2 transcription factor genes in tomato. Among them, SlAP2a was repressed by the overexpression of SlmiR172, manifesting in altered flower morphology, development and accelerated ripening. miR172 over-expression lines specifically repressed SlAP2a, enhancing ethylene biosynthesis, fruit color and additional ripening characteristics. Most previously described ripening-regulatory genes, including RIN-MADS, NR, TAGL1 and LeHB-1 were not influenced by miR172 while CNR showed altered expression.