Abstract
The grafting technique has been used in agriculture since ancient time to improve horticultural crops. Nonetheless, the mechanism by which the rootstocks impact the traits of scions remains elusive. Here, using carefully produced “tomato + eggplant” grafts, we studied a possible effect of tomato rootstocks on gene expression of eggplant scions. By taking strict precautions, including using inbred lines and employing both ungrafted and self-grafted controls, potential confounding influences were confidently ruled out. It was found that the tomato rootstock could up-or down-regulate gene expression of the eggplant scions. The effected genes are related to diverse functions, including general metabolism, signal transduction, stress-response, cell cycle/division, and transcription/translation. Possible mechanisms of the rootstock effects on gene expression of the scions are discussed.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call