CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations of FANTASTIC FOUR gene family for creating early flowering mutants in tomato.

ABSTRACT: Flowering time is of great agricultural importance and the timing and extent of flowering usually determines yield and availability of flowers, fruits and seeds. Identification of genes determining flowering has important practical applications for tomato breeding. Here we demonstrate the roles of the FANTASTIC FOUR (FAF) gene family in regulating tomato flowering time. In this plant-specific gene family, SlFAF1/2a shows a constitutive expression pattern during the transition of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) from vegetative to reproductive growth and significantly influences flowering time. Overexpressing SlFAF1/2a causes earlier flowering compared with the transformations of other genes in the FAF family. SlFAF1/2c also positively regulates tomato flowering, although to a lesser extent.

SUBMITTER: Shang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10893942 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature