Jean-Claude Pech

The Tomato Aux/IAA Transcription Factor IAA9 Is Involved in Fruit Development and Leaf Morphogenesis

Auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins are transcriptional regulators that mediate many aspects of plant responses to auxin. While functions of most Aux/IAAs have been defined mainly by gain-of-function mutant alleles in Arabidopsis thaliana, phenotypes associated with loss-of-function mutations have been scarce and subtle. We report here that the downregulation of IAA9, a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) gene from a distinct subfamily of Aux/IAA genes, results in a pleiotropic phenotype, consistent with its ubiquitous expression pattern. IAA9-inhibited lines have simple leaves instead of wild-type compound leaves, and fruit development is triggered before fertilization, giving rise to parthenocarpy. This indicates that IAA9 is a key mediator of leaf morphogenesis and fruit set. In addition, antisense plants displayed auxin-related growth alterations, including enhanced hypocotyl/stem elongation, increased leaf vascularization, and reduced apical dominance. Auxin dose–response assays revealed that IAA9 downregulated lines were hypersensitive to auxin, although the only early auxin-responsive gene that was found to be upregulated in the antisense lines was IAA3. The activity of the IAA3 promoter was stimulated in the IAA9 antisense genetic background, indicating that IAA9 acts in planta as a transcriptional repressor of auxin signaling. While no mutation in any member of subfamily IV has been reported to date, the phenotypes associated with the downregulation of IAA9 reveal distinct and novel roles for members of the Aux/IAA gene family.

New members of the tomato ERF family show specific expression pattern and diverse DNA-binding capacity to the GCC box element

Four new members of the ERF (ethylene‐response factor) family of plant‐specific DNA‐binding (GCC box) factors were isolated from tomato fruit (LeERF1–4). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that LeERF2 belongs to a new ERF class, characterized by a conserved N‐terminal signature sequence. Expression patterns and cis/trans binding affinities differed between the LeERFs. Combining experimental data and modeled three‐dimensional analysis, it was shown that binding affinity of the LeERFs was affected by both the variation of nucleotides surrounding the DNA cis‐element sequence and the nature of critical amino acid residues within the ERF domain.

Regulatory Features Underlying Pollination-Dependent and -Independent Tomato Fruit Set Revealed by Transcript and Primary Metabolite Profiling

Indole Acetic Acid 9 (IAA9) is a negative auxin response regulator belonging to the Aux/IAA transcription factor gene family whose downregulation triggers fruit set before pollination, thus giving rise to parthenocarpy. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that a tissue-specific gradient of IAA9 expression is established during flower development, the release of which upon pollination triggers the initiation of fruit development. Comparative transcriptome and targeted metabolome analysis uncovered important features of the molecular events underlying pollination-induced and pollination-independent fruit set. Comprehensive transcriptomic profiling identified a high number of genes common to both types of fruit set, among which only a small subset are dependent on IAA9 regulation. The fine-tuning of Aux/IAA and ARF genes and the downregulation of TAG1 and TAGL6 MADS box genes are instrumental in triggering the fruit set program. Auxin and ethylene emerged as the most active signaling hormones involved in the flower-to-fruit transition. However, while these hormones affected only a small number of transcriptional events, dramatic shifts were observed at the metabolic and developmental levels. The activation of photosynthesis and sucrose metabolism-related genes is an integral regulatory component of fruit set process. The combined results allow a far greater comprehension of the regulatory and metabolic events controlling early fruit development both in the presence and absence of pollination/fertilization.

Cellular and Molecular Aspects of the Plant Hormone Ethylene

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Effects of chilling on the expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes in Passe-Crassane pear (Pyrus communis L.) fruits

Passe-Crassane pears require a 3-month chilling treatment at 0 °C to be able to produce ethylene and ripen autonomously after subsequent rewarming. The chilling treatment strongly stimulated ACC oxidase activity, and to a lesser extent ACC synthase activity. At the same time, the levels of mRNAs hybridizing to ACC synthase and ACC oxidase probes increased dramatically. Fruit stored at 18 °C immediately after harvest did not exhibit any of these changes, while fruit that had been previously chilled exhibited a burst of ethylene production associated with high activity of ACC oxidase and ACC synthase upon rewarming. ACC oxidase mRNA strongly accumulated in rewarmed fruits, while ACC synthase mRNA level decreased. The chilling-induced accumulation of ACC synthase and ACC oxidase transcripts was strongly reduced when ethylene action was blocked during chilling with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Upon rewarming ACC synthase and ACC oxidase transcripts rapidly disappeared in 1-MCP-treated fruits. A five-week treatment of non-chilled fruits with the ethylene analog propylene led to increased expression of ACC oxidase and to ripening. However, ethylene synthesis, ACC synthase activity and ACC synthase mRNAs remained at very low level. Our data indicate that ACC synthase gene expression is regulated by ethylene only during, or after chilling treatment, while ACC oxidase gene expression can be induced separately by either chilling or ethylene.

Chromoplast Differentiation: Current Status and Perspectives

Chromoplasts are carotenoid-accumulating plastids conferring color to many flowers and fruits as well as to some tubers and roots. Chromoplast differentiation proceeds from preexisting plastids, most often chloroplasts. One of the most prominent changes is remodeling of the internal membrane system associated with the formation of carotenoid-accumulating structures. During the differentiation process the plastid genome is essentially stable and transcriptional activity is restricted. The buildup of the chromoplast for specific metabolic characteristics is essentially dependent upon the transcriptional activity of the nucleus. Important progress has been made in terms of mediation of the chloroplast-to-chromoplast transition with the discovery of the crucial role of the Or gene. In this article we review recent developments in the structural, biochemical and molecular aspects of chromoplast differentiation and also consider the reverse differentiation of chromoplasts into chloroplast-like structures during the regreening process occurring in some fruit. Future perspectives toward a full understanding of chromoplast differentiation include in-depth knowledge of the changes occurring in the plastidial proteome during chromoplastogenesis, elucidation of the role of hormones and the search for signals that govern the dialog between the nuclear and the chromoplastic genome.

Structure and expression of three genes encoding ACC oxidase homologs from melon (Cucumis melo L.)

The enzyme ACC oxidase catalyses the last step of ethylene biosynthesis in plants, converting 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. We have previously described the isolation and characterization of a cDNA clone (pMEL1) encoding an ACC oxidase homolog from melon (Cucumis melo L.). Here we report the isolation and characterization of three genomic clones, corresponding to three putative members of the ACC oxidase gene family in melon. All are transcriptionally active. The sequences of these genes have been determined. One genomic clone (CM-ACO1), corresponding to the cDNA previously isolated, presents a coding region interrupted by three introns. Its transcription initiation site has been defined with RNA from ripe fruit and ethylene-treated leaves. The other two genes (CM-ACO2, CM-ACO3) have only two introns, at positions identical to their counterparts inCM-ACO1. The degree of DNA homology in the coding regions ofCM-ACO2 andCM-ACO3 relative toCM-ACO1 is 59% and 75%, respectively.CM-ACO2 andCM-ACO3 are 59% homologous in their coding regions. These three genes have close homology toPH-ACO3, a member of the ACC oxidase multigene family of petunia. The predicted amino acid sequences of CM-ACO1 and CM-ACO3 are 77% to 81% identical to those encoded by the tomato and petunia genes, while the deduced amino acid sequence ofCM-ACO2 shows only 42% to 45% homology. RT-PCR analysis using gene-specific primers shows that the three genes are differentially expressed during development, ethylene treatment and wounding.CM-ACO1 is induced in ripe fruit and in response to wounding and to ethylene treatment in leaves.CM-ACO2 is detectable at low level in etiolated hypocotyls.CM-ACO3 is expressed in flowers and is not induced by any of the stimuli tested.

Functional characterization of a melon alcohol acyl-transferase gene family involved in the biosynthesis of ester volatiles. Identification of the crucial role of a threonine residue for enzyme activity*.

Volatile esters, a major class of compounds contributing to the aroma of many fruit, are synthesized by alcohol acyl-transferases (AAT). We demonstrate here that, in Charentais melon (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis), AAT are encoded by a gene family of at least four members with amino acid identity ranging from 84% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT2) and 58% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT3) to only 22% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT4). All encoded proteins, except Cm-AAT2, were enzymatically active upon expression in yeast and show differential substrate preferences. Cm-AAT1 protein produces a wide range of short and long-chain acyl esters but has strong preference for the formation of E-2-hexenyl acetate and hexyl hexanoate. Cm-AAT3 also accepts a wide range of substrates but with very strong preference for producing benzyl acetate. Cm-AAT4 is almost exclusively devoted to the formation of acetates, with strong preference for cinnamoyl acetate. Site directed mutagenesis demonstrated that the failure of Cm-AAT2 to produce volatile esters is related to the presence of a 268-alanine residue instead of threonine as in all active AAT proteins. Mutating 268-A into 268-T of Cm-AAT2 restored enzyme activity, while mutating 268-T into 268-A abolished activity of Cm-AAT1. Activities of all three proteins measured with the prefered substrates sharply increase during fruit ripening. The expression of all Cm-AAT genes is up-regulated during ripening and inhibited in antisense ACC oxidase melons and in fruit treated with the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating a positive regulation by ethylene. The data presented in this work suggest that the multiplicity of AAT genes accounts for the great diversity of esters formed in melon.

Molecular and Genetic Characterization of a Non-Climacteric Phenotype in Melon Reveals Two Loci Conferring Altered Ethylene Response in Fruit

Fruit ripening and abscission are associated with an ethylene burst in several melon (Cucumis melo) genotypes. In cantaloupe as in other climacteric fruit, exogenous ethylene can prematurely induce abscission, ethylene production, and ripening. Melon genotypes without fruit abscission or without ethylene burst also exist and are, therefore, non-climacteric. In the nonabscising melon fruit PI 161375, exogenous ethylene failed to stimulate abscission, loss of firmness, ethylene production, and expression of all target genes tested. However, the PI 161375 etiolated seedlings displayed the usual ethylene-induced triple response. Genetic analysis on a population of recombinant cantaloupe Charentais × PI 161375 inbred lines in segregation for fruit abscission and ethylene production indicated that both characters are controlled by two independent loci, abscission layer(Al)-3 and Al-4. The non-climacteric phenotype in fruit tissues is attributable to ethylene insensitivity conferred by the recessive allelic forms from PI 161375. Five candidate genes (two ACO, two ACS, and ERS) that were localized on the melon genetic map did not exhibit colocalization with Al-3 orAl-4.

Characteristics of the tomato chromoplast revealed by proteomic analysis

Chromoplasts are non-photosynthetic specialized plastids that are important in ripening tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum) since, among other functions, they are the site of accumulation of coloured compounds. Analysis of the proteome of red fruit chromoplasts revealed the presence of 988 proteins corresponding to 802 Arabidopsis unigenes, among which 209 had not been listed so far in plastidial databanks. These data revealed several features of the chromoplast. Proteins of lipid metabolism and trafficking were well represented, including all the proteins of the lipoxygenase pathway required for the synthesis of lipid-derived aroma volatiles. Proteins involved in starch synthesis co-existed with several starch-degrading proteins and starch excess proteins. Chromoplasts lacked proteins of the chlorophyll biosynthesis branch and contained proteins involved in chlorophyll degradation. None of the proteins involved in the thylakoid transport machinery were discovered. Surprisingly, chromoplasts contain the entire set of Calvin cycle proteins including Rubisco, as well as the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP). The present proteomic analysis, combined with available physiological data, provides new insights into the metabolic characteristics of the tomato chromoplast and enriches our knowledge of non-photosynthetic plastids.