Characterization and temporal–spatial expression analysis of LEC1 gene in the development of seedless berries in grape induced by gibberellin

Abstract

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.), a commercial fruit crop, is profoundly sensitive to gibberellic acid (GA), however exogenous application can significantly induce seedless grape berries. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanism of grape leafy cotyledon 1 (LEC1) on seedless induction remains intangible. Herein, the morphological changes of ‘Wink’ grape cultivar during berry development in response to GA treatments were recorded. To better comprehend the function of VvLEC1 in grape seedless berry induced by GA, the gene and protein sequence were determined by bioinformatics methods, of which motif elements analysis intimates the potential function in seed development. The expression level of VvLEC1 which was repressed by GA treatment, determined by RT PCR, exhibited highest up-regulation at four weeks after flowering in the seed. Furthermore, VvLEC1, a member of the nuclear factor Y subunit B (NF-YB-type) transcription factor, interacts with five proteins which belong to the NF-YC-type transcription factor by the prediction of protein interaction network, thus indicating their collective effects on the development of grape seed. Our research findings elucidate a novel molecular insight into the role of VvLEC1 responsive to GA in accentuating grapevine seed development, which is crucial for the molecular breeding of high-quality seedless grapes.