Roles of ATPase MINUSCULE in Solanum lycopersicum reproductive development

Abstract

Driving energy from ATP hydrolysis, chromatin may be more accessible to transcription factors. Such chromatin remodeling is achieved by SWI2/SNF2 complex, with a core ATPase BRAHMA (BRM), SPLAYED (SYD) or MINUSCULE (MINU) in terrestrial plants. BRM is the most widely studied in plants, using knock-down mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana to elucidate its function. On the other hand, MINU is until now poorly described, being most phenotypic traits in Arabidopsis MINU knock-out similar to gibberellin physiological effects. Solanum lycopersicum presents different reproductive development when compared to Arabidopsis: opposite flowering pattern in gibberellin pathway and fleshy fruit instead of siliques. The aim of this study is to deeply evaluate functions of SlMINU in tomato reproductive development using for that purpose the RNAi transgenic line we already generated and exhibits promising phenotypes. (AU)