SLMBP21 is required for tomato AZ development

The research team led by Dr. Mao Long atInstitute of Crop Sciences(ICS), CAAS discovered a new MADS-box transcription factor that was responsible for tomato fruit abscission zone (AZ) development. This group used yeast two-hybrid system to find the MADS-box proteinSLMBP21can interact with two previously identified MADS-box proteinsJOINTLESS (J)andMACROCAYLYX (MC)that are also implicated in AZ development.SLMBP21was confirmed to be required for AZ development by a transgenic approach.

The work further showed thatSLMBP21, J,andMCcould readily form higher order protein complexes in whichSLMBP21plays a key role as a transcription activator. BecauseSLMBP21belongs to theFBP9/23subclade of theSEPgene family, which is absent in the model plant Arabidopsis, theSLMBP21-J-MCcomplex may represent a distinct mechanism for plant AZ development. This discovery should assist scientists to generate new types of tomatoes with increased yield due to reduced loss and for improved mechanical harvesting.

The results were published online on the interactional journalThe Plant Journal.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.12387/abstract
The work is supported by National Science Foundation of China (NSFC).