Optimization of crop productivity in tomato using induced mutations in the florigen pathway

Park, S. J., Jiang, K., Tal, L., Yichie, Y., Gar, O., Zamir, D., Eshed, Y., Lippman, Z. B. (November 2014) Optimization of crop productivity in tomato using induced mutations in the florigen pathway. Nature Genetics, 46 (12). pp. 1337-1342. ISSN 1061-4036

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25362485
DOI: 10.1038/ng.3131

Abstract

Naturally occurring genetic variation in the universal florigen flowering pathway has produced major advancements in crop domestication. However, variants that can maximize crop yields may not exist in natural populations. Here we show that tomato productivity can be fine-tuned and optimized by exploiting combinations of selected mutations in multiple florigen pathway components. By screening for chemically induced mutations that suppress the bushy, determinate growth habit of field tomatoes, we isolated a new weak allele of the florigen gene SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) and two mutations affecting a bZIP transcription factor component of the 'florigen activation complex' (ref. 11). By combining heterozygous mutations, we pinpointed an optimal balance of flowering signals, resulting in a new partially determinate architecture that translated to maximum yields. We propose that harnessing mutations in the florigen pathway to customize plant architecture and flower production offers a broad toolkit to boost crop productivity.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > mutations
organism description > plant > tomato
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Lippman lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 2 November 2014
Date Deposited: 14 Nov 2014 19:47
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2014 20:38
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/30916

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