Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wenatchee, Washington » Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419621
Research Project: Uncovering Rootstock Disease Resistance Mechanisms in Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops and Development of Genetics-Informed Breeding Tools for Resistant Germplasm

Location: Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research

Title: Peach (Prunus persica) TAC1 protein interaction with a Light Harvesting Chlorophyll A/B Binding (LHCB) homolog and transcriptomic analyses reveal connections to photosynthesis

Author
item Waite, Jessica
item Burchard, Erik
item Dardick, Christopher
item HOLLENDER, COURTNEY - University Of Michigan

Submitted to: microPublication Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2025
Publication Date: 2/19/2025
Citation: Waite, J.M., Burchard, E.A., Dardick, C.D., Hollender, C.A. 2025. Peach (Prunus persica) TAC1 protein interaction with a Light Harvesting Chlorophyll A/B Binding (LHCB) homolog and transcriptomic analyses reveal connections to photosynthesis. microPublication Biology. https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.001371.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.001371

Interpretive Summary: The angle at which plant branches and roots grow is important for how many resources they can gather and how well they develop. Plants take in information from the environment, for example light and gravity, to learn how they should change their growth to gather these resources. A family of genes called the IGT/LAZY genes have been shown to be important for how plants interpret light and gravity signals to do this. Here, we perform experiments and analyze datasets to learn more about one of these genes, TAC1, in peaches. We show that the TAC1 protein interacts with an important photosynthesis-related protein. We also show that multiple genes involved in photosynthesis and responses to light are expressed higher or lower in peaches that have TAC1 knocked out. Together, our data are helping to clarify how TAC1 is able to help the plant integrate light signals to determine the angle branches should grow.

Technical Abstract: Plants receive and interpret external light, gravity, and temperature cues to both set and change the angles of their lateral organs for optimal growth and development. In recent years, the roles of the IGT/LAZY gene family in integrating light and gravity cues have become increasingly apparent. Here we investigate protein-protein interactions of PpeTAC1, a light-regulated IGT/LAZY family member involved in maintaining outward growth of lateral branches. We identify three candidate interactors, one of which belongs to the LIGHT HARVESTING CHLOROPHYLL A/B BINDING family. We show that neither tac1-silenced or PpeTAC1-overexpressing plums show differences in chlorophyll content. Further, we report multiple chloroplast- and photosynthesis-related genes that are differentially expressed between ppetac1 mutant and standard peaches. Together, PpeTAC1 shows multiple connections to photosynthesis-related signaling and responses.