A MADS-box gene necessary for fruit ripening at the tomato ripening-inhibitor (rin) locus

Science. 2002 Apr 12;296(5566):343-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1068181.

Abstract

Tomato plants harboring the ripening-inhibitor (rin) mutation yield fruits that fail to ripen. Additionally, rin plants display enlarged sepals and loss of inflorescence determinacy. Positional cloning of the rin locus revealed two tandem MADS-box genes (LeMADS-RIN and LeMADS-MC), whose expression patterns suggested roles in fruit ripening and sepal development, respectively. The rin mutation alters expression of both genes. Gene repression and mutant complementation demonstrate that LeMADS-RIN regulates ripening, whereas LeMADS-MC affects sepal development and inflorescence determinacy. LeMADS-RIN demonstrates an agriculturally important function of plant MADS-box genes and provides molecular insight into nonhormonal (developmental) regulation of ripening.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Chromosomes, Artificial, Yeast
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Antisense
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Ethylenes / biosynthesis
  • Ethylenes / pharmacology
  • Fruit / physiology
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genes, Plant*
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • MADS Domain Proteins / genetics*
  • MADS Domain Proteins / physiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plant Proteins / physiology
  • Plant Structures / genetics
  • Plant Structures / physiology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Solanum lycopersicum / genetics*
  • Solanum lycopersicum / physiology*

Substances

  • DNA, Antisense
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Ethylenes
  • MADS Domain Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • ethylene

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF448521
  • GENBANK/AF448522
  • GENBANK/AF448523