Evaluation of possible interactions between photoperiodic, age and gibereline flowering pathway with SP/SFT module and its impacts on tomato architecture (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

Flowering is orchestrated by a complex network of internal factors (genetic and epigenetic), which are responsible for perceiving external signals (temperature and light) and determining the best time for plants to transition from vegetative to reproductive stage, thus guaranteeing their reproductive success. Several studies, using the Arabidopsis thaliana as plant model, characterized these endogenous factors and identified of five genetic pathways related to plant flowering. These pathways are known as age, autonomic, gibberellin, photoperiod and vernalization. However, the conservation of these pathways in other species, especially those of economic importance, still lacks information. Frequently, some pathways have little importance on the flowering time of certain plants, e.g., the photoperiodic pathway in cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Nevertheless, recent studies have demonstrated the importance of knowledge these flowering pathways in the tomato and other crops improvement, since their affect not only flowering time but also all plant architecture. Both tomato architecture and flowering are deeply influenced by the CETS gene family, which includes the Self-Pruning (SP) and Single Flower Truss (SFT) genes. These two genes are responsible for maintaining vegetative growth and generating the mobile signal for flowering induction, respectively, and can interact with several molecules. These evidences allow us to hypothesize that SP and SFT genes are possibly direct or indirectly affected by different regulatory molecules of flowering pathways. Therefore, the present work aims to explore the possible interactions of the SP/SFT module with the photoperiodic, age and gibberellin flowering pathways, as well as its impacts on the tomato architecture. For this, we will use allelic variations (natural, induced and/or transgenic) from these three flowering pathways introduced into the genetic background of the Micro-Tom tomato cultivar. (AU)