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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 #418968
Research Project: Genetic Regulation of Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Quality and Maturation and Technology Development

Location: Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research

Title: ß-carotene and its derivatives regulate pollen fertility in tomato

Author
item RAO, SOMBIR - Cornell University
item O'HANNA, FRANZ - Cornell University
item SAAR, LILY - Cornell University
item HAZRA, ABHIJIT - Cornell University
item HULLIHEN, OLIVIA - Cornell University
item Giovannoni, James
item Li, Li

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Pollen fertility plays vital roles in plant sexual reproduction. ß-carotene is the most potent provitamin A carotenoid and represents an essential photosynthetic pigment. However, whether it is involved in plant development is entirely unknown. In this study, we found an important role of ß-carotene and its cleavage products in promoting pollen germination and pollen tube growth in tomato. The work establishes ß-carotene and its derivatives as an important metabolite in modulating plant sexual reproduction and shows potential implications for improving crop production.

Technical Abstract: In flowering plants, fertilization is essential for seed and fruit production. A plethora of bioactive small molecules such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, jasmonates, and carotenoids are detected in pollen grains and tubes. However, whether carotenoids found in pollen grains are involved in pollen fertility is totally unknown. We discover here that ß-carotene exerts a new function in regulating pollen germination and tube growth via a mechanism of controlling reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis in tomato. Moreover, we find that ß-carotene derivatives also modulate pollen fitness. Our study establishes ß-carotene and its derivatives as important metabolites in modulating plant sexual reproduction.