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Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Histological and molecular investigation of the basis for variation in tomato fruit size in response to fruit load and genotype

Julienne Fanwoua A B C F , Pieter H. B. de Visser A , Ep Heuvelink B , Gerco Angenent D E , Xinyou Yin C , Leo F. M. Marcelis A B and Paul C. Struik C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, PO Box 644, 6700 AP Wageningen, The Netherlands.

B Horticultural Supply Chains, Wageningen University, PO Box 630, 6700 AP Wageningen, The Netherlands.

C Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, PO Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands.

D Plant Research International, Business Unit Bioscience, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.

E Centre for BioSystems Genomics (CBSG), PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.

F Corresponding author. Email: julienne.fanwoua@wur.nl

Functional Plant Biology 39(9) 754-763 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP12093
Submitted: 22 March 2012  Accepted: 10 July 2012   Published: 15 August 2012

Abstract

Understanding the molecular mechanisms and cellular dynamics that cause variation in fruit size is critical for the control of fruit growth. The aim of this study was to investigate how both genotypic factors and carbohydrate limitation cause variation in fruit size. We grew a parental line (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and two inbred lines from Solanum chmielewskii (C.M.Rick et al.; D.M.Spooner et al.) producing small or large fruits under three fruit loads (FL): continuously two fruits/truss (2&2F) or five fruits/truss (5&5F) and a switch from five to two fruits/truss (5&2F) 7 days after anthesis (DAA). Final fruit size, sugar content and cell phenotypes were measured. The expression of major cell cycle genes 7 DAA was investigated using quantitative PCR. The 5&5F treatment resulted in significantly smaller fruits than the 5&2F and 2&2F treatments. In the 5&5F treatment, cell number and cell volume contributed equally to the genotypic variation in final fruit size. In the 5&2F and 2&2F treatment, cell number contributed twice as much to the genotypic variation in final fruit size than cell volume did. FL treatments resulted in only subtle variations in gene expression. Genotypic differences were detected in transcript levels of CycD3 (cyclin) and CDKB1 (cyclin-dependent-kinase), but not CycB2. Genotypic variation in fruit FW, pericarp volume and cell volume was linked to pericarp glucose and fructose content (R2 = 0.41, R2 = 0.48, R2 = 0.11 respectively). Genotypic variation in cell number was positively correlated with pericarp fructose content (R2 = 0.28). These results emphasise the role of sugar content and of the timing of assimilate supply in the variation of cell and fruit phenotypes.

Additional keywords: assimilates, cell cycle genes, histology, Solanum lycopersicum, variety.


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