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| Loss-of-function ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2) mutations showed ethylene insensitivity in Arabidopsis, which indicated an essential role of EIN2 in ethylene signaling. Recently, the solanaceae EIN2 (petunia EIN2) has also been identified. However, little is known about the role of EIN2 in other solanaceae species such as tomato. To gain a better understanding of EIN2 in tomato, LeEIN2 silenced tomato fruits were developed using a virus-induced gene silencing fruit system to study the role of LeEIN2 in tomato fruit ripening. Silenced fruits had a delay in fruit development and ripening, related to greatly descended expression of ethylene-related and ripening-related genes in comparison with those of control fruits. Therefore, LeEIN2 was proposed to a positive component of the ethylene-signaling pathway in tomato. In addition, there were less seeds and locules in the silenced fruit than the control fruit, like the phenotype of parthenocarpic tomato fruit. The content of auxin and also the expression of auxin-regulated gene were declined in silenced fruit, which indicated the EIN2 might be important for the crosstalk between ethylene and auxin hormones. |
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| Keywords: LeEIN2, VIGS, fruit ripening, auxin, LeEIL1 |
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