Study Reveals the Role of SIBEL11 in Preventing Premature Fruit Drop in Tomato

A study published in the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology uncovers the role of transcription factor BEL1-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN11 (SlBEL11) in regulating auxin transport during abscission in tomato. The study also provides insights into the interaction between SIBEL11 and SIMYBY111 genes.

The plant hormone auxin plays an important role in regulating plant growth, particularly in regulating abscission, which pertains to the natural separation of plant fruits. The results of the study show that the premature fruit drop in plants with SIBEL11 knockdown is mainly caused by insufficient auxin levels in the fruits of SIBEL11-RNAi plants.

In the analysis, tomato plants with silenced SIBEL11 genes had lower levels of flavonoids, especially quercetin, which help prevent fruits from falling prematurely. In addition, the study found that SIBEL11 induces the expression of SIMYBY111, which activates genes responsible for flavonoid production.

The study suggests that the interaction between SlBEL11 and SlMYB111 affects the production of flavonoids in the fruits of tomatoes. This process helps regulate auxin movement out of the fruit, maintaining a balanced auxin response along the pedicel, thereby helping stop the fruit from dropping prematurely.

For more information, read the article from the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology.