Abstract
Genetic control of parthenocarpy, a desirable trait in edible fruit with hard seeds, has been extensively studied. However, the molecular mechanism of parthenocarpic fruit development in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is still unclear. To provide insights into eggplant parthenocarpy, the transcriptomic profiles of a natural parthenocarpic (PP05) and two non-parthenocarpic (PnP05 and GnP05) eggplant lines were analyzed using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. These sequences were assembled into 38925 unigenes, of which 22683 had an annotated function and 3419 were predicted as novel genes or from alternative splicing. 4864 and 1592 unigenes that were identified as DEGs between comparison groups PP05 vs PnP05 and PP05 vs GnP05, respectively. 506 common DEGs were found contained in both comparison groups, including 258 up-regulated and 248 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analyses identified many common or specific biological processes and gene set potentially associated with plant development. The most pronounced findings are that differentially regulated genes potentially-related with auxin signaling between parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic eggplants, e.g. calcium-binding protein PBP1 and transcription factor E2FB, which mediate the auxin distribution and auxin-dependent cell division, respectively, are up-regulated in the PP05; whereas homologs of GH3.1 and AUX/IAA, which are involved in inactivation of IAA and interference of auxin signaling, respectively, are down-regulated in PP05. Furthermore, gibberellin and cytokinin signaling genes and genes related to flower development were found differentially regulated between these eggplant lines. The present study provides comprehensive transcriptomic profiles of eggplants with or without parthenocarpic capacity. The information will deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of eggplant parthenocarpy. The DEGs, especially these filtered from PP05 vs PnP05 + GnP05, will be valuable for further investigation of key genes involved in the parthenocarpic fruit development and genomics-assisted breeding.
Highlights
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), a herbaceous belongs to the genus Solanum, is a vegetable crop species of global importance
To understand the potential molecular mechanisms involved in parthenocarpic fruit development, three eggplant lines were planted in early spring and investigated under a relatively low temperature
Results revealed that PP05 developed seedless fruits with normal shape and size 20 days after anthesis, with a relatively high fruit set of 93%; whereas PnP05 and GnP05 were unable to develop into mature fruit, indicating that PP05 is natural parthenocarpic, while PnP05 and GnP05 are non-parthenocarpic
Summary
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), a herbaceous belongs to the genus Solanum, is a vegetable crop species of global importance. Low temperature, which affects the pollination and fertilization, is a serious constraint to the yield and quality of early-maturing eggplant varieties [5]. To avoid these adverse effects caused by low temperature, spray treatment with plant growth regulators, like 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, was applied to the eggplant planting. Undesirable consequences, such as malformed fruits, loss of flavor and drug residual, which are induced by inappropriate use of the plant growth regulators, would reduce the fruit value and have a potential risk for consumers
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