| Title: | The scarecrow-like transcription factor SlSCL3 regulates volatile terpene biosynthesis and glandular trichome size in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) |
| Author(s): | Yang C; Marillonnet S; Tissier A; |
| Address: | "Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany. Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266100, China" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1365-313X (Electronic) 0960-7412 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) type VI glandular trichomes that occur on the surface of leaves, stems, young fruits and flowers produce and store a blend of volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. These compounds play important roles in the interaction with pathogens and herbivorous insects. Although the function of terpene synthases in the biosynthesis of volatile terpenes in tomato has been comprehensively investigated, the deciphering of their transcriptional regulation is only just emerging. We selected transcription factors that are over-expressed in trichomes based on existing transcriptome data and silenced them individually by virus-induced gene silencing. Of these, SlSCL3, a scarecrow-like (SCL) subfamily transcription factor, led to a significant decrease in volatile terpene content and expression of the corresponding terpene synthase genes when its transcription level was downregulated. Overexpression of SlSCL3 dramatically increased both the volatile terpene content and glandular trichome size, whereas its homozygous mutants showed reduced terpene biosynthesis. However, its heterozygous mutants also showed a significantly elevated volatile terpene content and enlarged glandular trichomes, similar to the overexpression plants. SlSCL3 modulates the expression of terpene biosynthetic pathway genes by transcriptional activation, but neither direct protein-DNA binding nor interaction with known regulators was observed. Moreover, transcript levels of the endogenous copy of SlSCL3 were decreased in the overexpression plants but increased in the heterozygous and homozygous mutants, suggesting feedback repression of its own promoter. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the role of SlSCL3 in the complex regulation of volatile terpene biosynthesis and glandular trichome development in tomato" |
| Keywords: | "Gene Silencing Heterozygote Solanum lycopersicum/*physiology Mutation Plant Proteins/*genetics/metabolism Plants, Genetically Modified Promoter Regions, Genetic Terpenes/*metabolism Transcription Factors/*genetics/metabolism *Trichomes/anatomy & histology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineYang, Changqing Marillonnet, Sylvestre Tissier, Alain eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2021/06/19 Plant J. 2021 Aug; 107(4):1102-1118. doi: 10.1111/tpj.15371. Epub 2021 Jul 8" |
