Drosera regia, an endangered carnivorous plant endemic to South Africa, holds ornamental and pharmacological potential due to its distinctive morphology and bioactive metabolites. However, protocols for its in vitro propagation and genetic transformation remain scarce. This study establishes an integrated biotechnological approach for clonal propagation, acclimatization, adventitious regeneration, and Rhizobium radiobacter-mediated transformation of D. regia. Seeds germinated efficiently (85

Regulation of sodium homeostasis is vital for plant responses to salinity. In this study, we characterized two allelic tomato mutants, sodium gatherer1-2 (sga1-2), which show extreme salt sensitivity. The mutants display early severe chlorosis, swelling of aerial parts, and eventual leaf desiccation, leading to plant death. Mapping-by-sequencing identified mutations in the SlRBOHG gene, encoding a plasma membrane NADPH oxidase, as the cause of this phenotype. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first RBOH gene family knockout mutants identified in tomato to date. Physiological analyses revealed that sga1-2 mutants exhibit significantly increased Na + transport from roots to shoots, reduced K+ uptake, and extremely high Na+/K+ ratios, particularly in the shoots, explaining their salt hypersensitivity. CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts of SlRBOHG reproduced the sga1-2 mutant phenotype and exhibited the same ion homeostasis alterations. At the molecular level, sga1-2 mutants show reduced expression of key Na + transporter genes, including SlSOS1, SlHKT1s, and SlNHXs. Additionally, while wild-type plants (WT) show an increase in H2O2 concentration in the roots following salt treatment, the mutants do not exhibit this response. The inhibition of salinity-induced H2O2 increase in WT plants, using the NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI, also led to the suppression of SlHKT1;2 gene expression, which was associated with Na+ accumulation in the leaves. However, the treatment of WT plant with DPI did not alter K+ homeostasis. These findings demonstrate that SlRBOHG-mediated H2O2 production is critical for conferring salt tolerance in tomato plants, mainly by activating mechanisms that maintain Na+ homeostasis in the plant.

BBXs are B-Box zinc finger proteins that can act as transcription factors and regulators of protein complexes. Several BBX proteins play important roles in plant development. Two Arabidopsis thaliana microProteins belonging to the BBX family, named miP1a and miP1b, homotypically interact with and modulate the activity of other BBX proteins, including CONSTANS, which transcriptionally activates the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing miP1a and miP1b showed delayed flowering. In tomato, the closest homologs of miP1a and miP1b are the microProteins SlBBX16 and SlBBX17. This study was aimed at investigating whether the constitutive expression of SlBBX16/17 in Arabidopsis and tomato impacted reproductive development. The heterologous expression of the two tomato microProteins in Arabidopsis caused a delay in the flowering transition; however, the effect was weaker than that observed when the native miP1a/b were overexpressed. In tomato, overexpression of SlBBX17 prolonged the flowering period; this effect was accompanied by downregulation of the flowering inhibitors Self Pruning (SP) and SP5G. SlBBX16 and SlBBX17 can hetero-oligomerize with TCMP-2, a cystine-knot peptide involved in flowering pattern regulation and early fruit development in tomato. The increased expression of both microProteins also caused alterations in tomato fruit development: we observed in the case of SlBBX17 a decrease in the number and size of ripe fruits as compared to WT plants, while for SlBBX16, a delay in fruit production up to the breaker stage. These effects were associated with changes in the expression of GA-responsive genes.

Byblis, a small genus of carnivorous plants predominantly found in Australia, is characterized by its passive trapping mechanism and unique floral features. The chemical composition of Byblis, including identified phenylethanoid glycosides, particularly acteoside, highlights its pharmacological potential with various biological activities. In vitro culture techniques have been established for propagation, with micropropagation protocols developed for different Byblis species. However, information on genetic transformation, vital for trait modification and enhanced pharmacological interest, remains limited. This study focuses on optimizing micropropagation, adventitious regeneration, and genetic transformation methods for Byblis liniflora. Adventitious regeneration rates were highest in medium with reduced Murashige and Skoog salts (MS/10) and sucrose (3 gL−1) concentrations. Zeatin supplementation (1 mgL−1) further improved regeneration rates and bud development with 100% of regenerated root explants and 8.8 shoots per explant. Liquid MB3 medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) 5 mgL−1 facilitated efficient rooting and acclimatization. The establishment of an efficient Rhizobium-mediated genetic transformation method yielded transgenic plants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Molecular analysis confirmed transgene integration, marking the first successful genetic transformation in the Byblis genus. These advancements pave the way for exploring gene function and enhancing pharmacological properties, thereby broadening our understanding and utilization of carnivorous plants like Byblis.

ABSTRACT Regulation of sodium homeostasis is crucial for plant response to salinity conditions. Here we report on the genetic and physiological characterization of two tomato allelic mutants, s odium ga therer1-2 ( sga1-2 ), which exhibit pronounced chlorosis and hyperhydration under salt stress. Mapping-by-sequencing revealed that mutant phenotype resulted from mutations in the SlRbohG gene, and CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts of this gene gave phenocopies of the sga1-2 mutants. Physiological analyses showed that sga1-2 salt hypersensitivity is linked to an increase of Na + and water transport from roots to shoots, which explains their extreme chlorosis and hyperhydration under salinity conditions. At the molecular level, SlPIP2;12 gene, an aquaporin down-regulated in the WT under salt stress, was overexpressed in the sga1-2 mutants, which could enhance water transport to the shoot. Also, sga1-2 mutants exhibited a significant reduction in the expression of key sodium transporters, thus modifying the normal distribution of Na + in tomato plant tissues. Furthermore, treatment of WT plants with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI prevented H 2 O 2 production in response to salinity, resulting in elevated Na + accumulation in the shoot and reduced expression of the SlHKT1;2 gene in root. Altogether, our results show that SlRbohG plays a central role in salt tolerance through ROS-mediated signaling. HIGHLIGHT Loss of function of tomato SlRbohG gene leads hypersensibility to salt stress due to increased Na + and water transport from root to shoot.

BBXs are B-Box zinc finger proteins that can act as transcription factors and regulators of protein complexes. Several BBX proteins play important roles in plant development. Two Arabidopsis thaliana microProteins belonging to the BBX family, named miP1a and miP1b, homotypically interact with and modulate the activity of other BBX proteins, including CONSTANS, which transcriptionally activates the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T . In tomato, the closest homologs of miP1a and miP1b are the microProteins Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17. To deepen our understanding of the role of tomato microProteins in flowering, we constitutively expressed Sl BBX16/17 in Arabidopsis and tomato and examined possible interacting partners. Overexpression of the two tomato microProteins in Arabidopsis caused a delay in the flowering transition; however, the effect was weaker than that observed in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the native miP1a/b. In tomato, overexpression of SlBBX17 prolonged the flowering period; this effect was accompanied by downregulation of the flowering inhibitors Self Pruning ( SP ) and SP5G . Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17 are able to hetero-oligomerize with TCMP-2, a cystine-knot peptide involved in flowering pattern and fruit development in tomato. Increasing the expression of both tomato microProteins also caused alterations in fruit development: overexpression of SlBBX17 resulted in a diminished number and size of ripe fruits as compared to WT plants, while overexpression of SlBBX16 caused delayed fruit production up to the breaker stage. These effects were associated with changes in the expression of genes regulating gibberellin content.### Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

The stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SACPD) is a key enzyme in the regulation of saturated to unsaturated fatty acid ratio, playing a crucial role in regulating membrane stability and fluidity, as well as photosynthesis efficiency, which makes it an important research focus in crop species. This study reports the characterization and molecular cloning of pale dwarf (pad), a new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) T-DNA recessive mutant, which exhibits a dwarf and chlorotic phenotype. Functional studies of the T-DNA tagged gene were conducted, including phylogenetic analysis, expression and metabolomic analyses, and generation of CRISPR/Cas9 knockout lines. The cloning of T-DNA flanking genomic sequences and a co-segregation analysis found the pad phenotype was caused by a T-DNA insertion disrupting the tomato homologue of the Arabidopsis SUPPRESSOR OF SALICYLIC ACID INSENSITIVITY 2 (SlSSI2), encoding a plastid localized isoform of SACPD. The phenotype of CRISPR/Cas9 SlSSI2 knockout lines confirmed that the morphological abnormalities in pad plants were due to SlSSI2 loss of function. Functional, metabolomic and expression analyses proved that SlSSI2 disruption causes deficiencies in 18:1 fatty acid desaturation and leads to diminished jasmonic acid (JA) content and increased salicylic acid (SA) levels. Overall, these results proved that SSI2 plays a crucial role in the regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles in tomato, and revealed that SlSSI2 loss of function results in an inhibited JA-responsive signalling pathway and a constitutively activated SA-mediated defence signalling response. This study lays the foundation for further research on tomato SACPDs and their role in plant performance and fitness.

The implementation of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations in 2015 focuses on making a more sustainable world in all countries and for all stakeholders. Higher education institutions (HEI) play a key role in increasing students’ sustainability knowledge, transforming their attitudes and motivating them to promote or engage in sustainability behaviors. HEI can take several measures to fulfill these objectives, but it is important to develop efficient tools to assess the starting point at which university students are at. In this study, a survey was conducted that addressed students from different Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) degrees to investigate their knowledge and awareness of sustainability and SDGs. This survey (n = 321) showed students’ levels of knowledge and initial awareness. Many UPV students state that they are aware of the SDGs, but most do not fully understand these 17 goals and their current implementation but think that the SDGs are important for their daily lives. Therefore, finding links between the SDGs and daily interests is necessary to advance toward further implementation to allow us to fulfill all SDGs. These results offer a good starting point for evaluating future training and awareness actions to improve sustainability-related educational strategies.

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the main instrument of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development of United Nations (UN) adopted in 2015. The 17 SDGs seek a whole approach in different thematic issues including poverty, water, energy education, climate, or peace. They are a supremely ambitious and transformational vision according the statement signed by Heads of State and Government and High Representatives meet at 70th anniversary meeting of UN. One of the main points to get the success of the SDGs is to spread their existence and engage all the population in meet their goals. University is one of the main places than can contribute to their knowledge and education is one of the SDGs. Universities can support students to develop knowledge and skills to solving the complex sustainable development challenges our world/society faces. Biotechnology can help to achieve SDGs by enabling a more sustainable development in different areas like health, biodiversity, desertification, food security and production or industrial processes. In the present study a test was carried out in first year students of Biotechnology degree to assess the preliminary knowledge of SDGs. The participation was very high, and the students showed a high basic knowledge. Activities during the term will be carried out to improve and deepen their knowledge. Further and more complex assessment will be done to get more insight of the SDG understanding of the students.

Since membranes play essential roles in all living beings, all cells have developed mechanisms for efficient and fast repair of membrane damage. In Escherichia coli, the Phage shock stress A (PspA) protein is involved in the maintenance of the integrity of its inner membrane in response to the damage produced by exposure to stress conditions. A role in thylakoid membrane maintenance and reorganization has been proposed for Vesicle Inducing Protein in Plastid 1 (VIPP1), the putative PspA ortholog in Arabidopsis thaliana. While some membranes of plant cells have been extensively studied, the biosynthesis and maintenance of chloroplast thylakoid membrane remains poorly known. Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) ortholog of Escherichia coli PspA and Arabidopsis thaliana VIPP1, which we dubbed SlVIPP1. Our genetic and molecular characterization of slvipp1, an insertional mutant, allowed us to conclude that the tomato SlVIPP1 gene is needed for development, as Arabidopsis VIPP1, but not Escherichia coli PspA. Homozygous slvipp1 tomato plants are albino and exhibit early lethality and highly aberrant chloroplast development with almost complete absence of thylakoids. The phenotype of tomato RNAi lines and that of additional slvipp1 alleles generated by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology confirmed that the morphological and histological aberrations shown by slvipp1 homozygotes are caused by VIPP1 lack of function. We also found that tomato SlVIPP1 overexpression does not cause any visible effect on plant morphology and viability. Our work with slvipp1 plants evidences that SlVIPP1 is an essential gene required for tomato survival, since its function is crucial for the proper formation and/or maintenance of thylakoid membranes.

The screening of 862 T-DNA lines was carried out to approach the genetic dissection of indirect adventitious organogenesis in tomato. Several mutants defective in different phases of adventitious organogenesis, namely callus growth (tdc-1), bud differentiation (tdb-1, -2, -3) and shoot-bud development (tds-1) were identified and characterized. The alteration of the TDC-1 gene blocked callus proliferation depending on the composition of growth regulators in the culture medium. Calli from tds-1 explants differentiated buds but did not develop normal shoots. Histological analysis showed that their abnormal development is due to failure in the organization of normal adventitious shoot meristems. Interestingly, tdc-1 and tds-1 mutant plants were indistinguishable from WT ones, indicating that the respective altered genes play specific roles in cell proliferation from explant cut zones (TDC-1 gene) or in the organization of adventitious shoot meristems (TDS-1 gene). Unlike the previous, plants of the three mutants defective in the differentiation of adventitious shoot-buds (tdb-1, -2, -3) showed multiple changes in vegetative and reproductive traits. Cosegregation analyses revealed the existence of an association between the phenotype of the tdb-3 mutant and a T-DNA insert, which led to the discovery that the SlMAPKKK17 gene is involved in the shoot-bud differentiation process.

Arlequin (Alq) is a gain-of-function mutant whose most relevant feature is that sepals are able to become fruit-like organs due to the ectopic expression of the ALQ-TAGL1 gene. The role of this gene in tomato fruit ripening was previously demonstrated. To discover new functional roles for ALQ-TAGL1, and most particularly its involvement in the fruit set process, a detailed characterization of Alq yield-related traits was performed. Under standard conditions, the Alq mutant showed a much higher fruit set rate than the wild type. A significant percentage of Alq fruits were seedless. The results showed that pollination-independent fruit set in Alq is due to early transition from flower to fruit. Analysis of endogenous hormones in Alq suggests that increased content of cytokinins and decreased level of abscisic acid may account for precocious fruit set. Comparative expression analysis showed relevant changes of several genes involved in cell division, gibberellin metabolism, and the auxin signalling pathway. Since pollination-independent fruit set may be a very useful strategy for maintaining fruit production under adverse conditions, fruit set and yield in Alq plants under moderate salinity were assessed. Interestingly, Alq mutant plants showed a high yield under saline conditions, similar to that of Alq and the wild type under unstressed conditions.

Background: Tomato mutants altered in leaf morphology are usually identified in the greenhouse, which demands considerable time and space and can only be performed in adequate periods. For a faster but equally reliable scrutiny method we addressed the screening in vitro of 971T-DNA lines. Leaf development was evaluated in vitro in seedlings and shoot-derived axenic plants. New mutants were characterized in the greenhouse to establish the relationship between in vitro and in vivo leaf morphology, and to shed light on possible links between leaf development and agronomic traits, a promising field in which much remains to be discovered. Results: Following the screening in vitro of tomato T-DNA lines, putative mutants altered in leaf morphology were evaluated in the greenhouse. The comparison of results in both conditions indicated a general phenotypic correspondence, showing that in vitro culture is a reliable system for finding mutants altered in leaf development. Apart from providing homogeneous conditions, the main advantage of screening in vitro lies in the enormous time and space saving. Studies on the association between phenotype and nptII gene expression showed co-segregation in two lines (P > 99%). The use of an enhancer trap also allowed identifying gain-of-function mutants through reporter expression analysis. These studies suggested that genes altered in three other mutants were T-DNA tagged. New mutants putatively altered in brassinosteroid synthesis or perception, mutations determining multiple pleiotropic effects, lines affected in organ curvature, and the first tomato mutant with helical growth were discovered. Results also revealed new possible links between leaf development and agronomic traits, such as axillary branching, flower abscission, fruit development and fruit cracking. Furthermore, we found that the gene tagged in mutant 2635-MM encodes a Sterol 3-beta-glucosyltransferase. Expression analysis suggested that abnormal leaf development might be due to the lack-off-function of this gene. Conclusion: In vitro culture is a quick, efficient and reliable tool for identifying tomato mutants altered in leaf morphology. The characterization of new mutants in vivo revealed new links between leaf development and some agronomic traits. Moreover, the possible implication of a gene encoding a Sterol 3-beta-glucosyltransferase in tomato leaf development is reported.

Characterization of a new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) T-DNA mutant allowed for the isolation of the CALCINEURIN B-LIKE PROTEIN 10 (SlCBL10) gene whose lack of function was responsible for the severe alterations observed in the shoot apex and reproductive organs under salinity conditions. Physiological studies proved that SlCBL10 gene is required to maintain a proper low Na+/Ca2+ ratio in growing tissues allowing tomato growth under salt stress. Expression analysis of the main responsible genes for Na+ compartmentalization (i.e. Na+/H+ EXCHANGERs, SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE, HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 1;2, H+-pyrophosphatase AVP1 [SlAVP1] and V-ATPase [SlVHA-A1]) supported a reduced capacity to accumulate Na+ in Slcbl10 mutant leaves, which resulted in a lower uploading of Na+ from xylem, allowing the toxic ion to reach apex and flowers. Likewise, the tomato CATION EXCHANGER 1 and TWO-PORE CHANNEL 1 (SlTPC1), key genes for Ca2+ fluxes to the vacuole, showed abnormal expression in Slcbl10 plants indicating an impaired Ca2+ release from vacuole. Additionally, complementation assay revealed that SlCBL10 is a true ortholog of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CBL10 gene, supporting that the essential function of CBL10 is conserved in Arabidopsis and tomato. Together, the findings obtained in this study provide new insights into the function of SlCBL10 in salt stress tolerance. Thus, it is proposed that SlCBL10 mediates salt tolerance by regulating Na+ and Ca2+ fluxes in the vacuole, cooperating with the vacuolar cation channel SlTPC1 and the two vacuolar H+-pumps, SlAVP1 and SlVHA-A1, which in turn are revealed as potential targets of SlCBL10.

Excessive soil salinity diminishes crop yield and quality. In a previous study in tomato, we identified two closely linked genes encoding HKT1-like transporters, HKT1;1 and HKT1;2, as candidate genes for a major quantitative trait locus (kc7.1) related to shoot Na+ /K+ homeostasis - a major salt tolerance trait - using two populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Here, we determine the effectiveness of these genes in conferring improved salt tolerance by using two near-isogenic lines (NILs) that were homozygous for either the Solanum lycopersicum allele (NIL17) or for the Solanum cheesmaniae allele (NIL14) at both HKT1 loci; transgenic lines derived from these NILs in which each HKT1;1 and HKT1;2 had been silenced by stable transformation were also used. Silencing of ScHKT1;2 and SlHKT1;2 altered the leaf Na+ /K+ ratio and caused hypersensitivity to salinity in plants cultivated under transpiring conditions, whereas silencing SlHKT1;1/ScHKT1;1 had a lesser effect. These results indicate that HKT1;2 has the more significant role in Na+ homeostasis and salinity tolerance in tomato.

Tomato CALCINEURIN B-LIKE PROTEIN 10 (SlCBL10) ensures plant growth by regulating proper distribution of Na+ and Ca2+ in the shoot apical meristem and developing organs under salt stress. Characterization of a new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) T-DNA mutant allowed for the isolation of the CALCINEURIN B-LIKE PROTEIN 10 (SlCBL10) gene whose lack of function was responsible for the severe alterations observed in the shoot apex and reproductive organs under salinity conditions. Physiological studies proved that SlCBL10 gene is required to maintain a proper low Na+/Ca2+ ratio in growing tissues allowing tomato growth under salt stress. Expression analysis of the main responsible genes for Na+ compartmentalization (i.e. Na+/H+ EXCHANGERs, SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE, HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 1;2, H+-pyrophosphatase AVP1 [SlAVP1] and V-ATPase [SlVHA-A1]) supported a reduced capacity to accumulate Na+ in Slcbl10 mutant leaves, which resulted in a lower uploading of Na+ from xylem, allowing the toxic ion to reach apex and flowers. Likewise, the tomato CATION EXCHANGER 1 and TWO-PORE CHANNEL 1 (SlTPC1), key genes for Ca2+ fluxes to the vacuole, showed abnormal expression in Slcbl10 plants indicating an impaired Ca2+ release from vacuole. Additionally, complementation assay revealed that SlCBL10 is a true ortholog of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CBL10 gene, supporting that the essential function of CBL10 is conserved in Arabidopsis and tomato. Together, the findings obtained in this study provide new insights into the function of SlCBL10 in salt stress tolerance. Thus, it is proposed that SlCBL10 mediates salt tolerance by regulating Na+ and Ca2+ fluxes in the vacuole, cooperating with the vacuolar cation channel SlTPC1 and the two vacuolar H+-pumps, SlAVP1 and SlVHA-A1, which in turn are revealed as potential targets of SlCBL10.

SummaryWith the completion of genome sequencing projects, the next challenge is to close the gap between gene annotation and gene functional assignment. Genomic tools to identify gene functions are based on the analysis of phenotypic variations between a wild type and its mutant; hence, mutant collections are a valuable resource. In this sense, T‐DNA collections allow for an easy and straightforward identification of the tagged gene, serving as the basis of both forward and reverse genetic strategies. This study reports on the phenotypic and molecular characterization of an enhancer trap T‐DNA collection in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), which has been produced by Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation using a binary vector bearing a minimal promoter fused to the uidA reporter gene. Two genes have been isolated from different T‐DNA mutants, one of these genes codes for a UTP‐glucose‐1‐phosphate uridylyltransferase involved in programmed cell death and leaf development, which means a novel gene function reported in tomato. Together, our results support that enhancer trapping is a powerful tool to identify novel genes and regulatory elements in tomato and that this T‐DNA mutant collection represents a highly valuable resource for functional analyses in this fleshy‐fruited model species.

For salt tolerance to be achieved in the long-term plants must regulate Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis over time. In this study, we show that the salt tolerance induced by overexpression of the yeast HAL5 gene in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) was related to a lower leaf Na(+) accumulation in the long term, by reducing Na(+) transport from root to shoot over time regardless of the severity of salt stress. Furthermore, maintaining Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis over time was associated with changes in the transcript levels of the Na(+) and K(+) transporters such as SlHKT1;2 and SlHAK5. The expression of SlHKT1;2 was upregulated in response to salinity in roots of transgenic plants but downregulated in the roots of wild-type (WT) plants, which seems to be related to the lower Na(+) transport rate from root to shoot in transgenic plants. The expression of the SlHAK5 increased in roots and leaves of both WT and transgenic plants under salinity. However, this increase was much higher in the leaves of transgenic plants than in those of WT plants, which may be associated with the ability of transgenic leaves to maintain Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis over time. Taken together, the results show that the salt tolerance mechanism induced by HAL5 overexpression in tomato is related to the appropriate regulation of ion transport from root to shoot and maintenance of the leaf Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis through modulation of SlHKT1 and SlHAK5 over time.

procera (pro) is a tall tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) mutant carrying a point mutation in the GRAS region of the gene encoding SlDELLA, a repressor in the gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway. Consistent with the SlDELLA loss of function, pro plants display a GA-constitutive response phenotype, mimicking wild-type plants treated with GA(3). The ovaries from both nonemasculated and emasculated pro flowers had very strong parthenocarpic capacity, associated with enhanced growth of preanthesis ovaries due to more and larger cells. pro parthenocarpy is facultative because seeded fruits were obtained by manual pollination. Most pro pistils had exserted stigmas, thus preventing self-pollination, similar to wild-type pistils treated with GA(3) or auxins. However, Style2.1, a gene responsible for long styles in noncultivated tomato, may not control the enhanced style elongation of pro pistils, because its expression was not higher in pro styles and did not increase upon GA(3) application. Interestingly, a high percentage of pro flowers had meristic alterations, with one additional petal, sepal, stamen, and carpel at each of the four whorls, respectively, thus unveiling a role of SlDELLA in flower organ development. Microarray analysis showed significant changes in the transcriptome of preanthesis pro ovaries compared with the wild type, indicating that the molecular mechanism underlying the parthenocarpic capacity of pro is complex and that it is mainly associated with changes in the expression of genes involved in GA and auxin pathways. Interestingly, it was found that GA activity modulates the expression of cell division and expansion genes and an auxin signaling gene (tomato AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR7) during fruit-set.

Background Pelargonium is one of the most popular garden plants in the world. Moreover, it has a considerable economic importance in the ornamental plant market. Conventional cross-breeding strategies have generated a range of cultivars with excellent traits. However, gene transfer via Agrobacterium tumefaciens could be a helpful tool to further improve Pelargonium by enabling the introduction of new genes/traits . We report a simple and reliable protocol for the genetic transformation of Pelargonium spp. and the production of engineered long-life and male sterile Pelargonium zonale plants, using the pSAG12::ipt and PsEND1::barnase chimaeric genes respectively. Results The pSAG12::ipt transgenic plants showed delayed leaf senescence, increased branching and reduced internodal length, as compared to control plants. Leaves and flowers of the pSAG12::ipt plants were reduced in size and displayed a more intense coloration. In the transgenic lines carrying the PsEND1::barnase construct no pollen grains were observed in the modified anther structures, which developed instead of normal anthers. The locules of sterile anthers collapsed 3–4 days prior to floral anthesis and, in most cases, the undeveloped anther tissues underwent necrosis. Conclusion The chimaeric construct pSAG12::ipt can be useful in Pelargonium spp. to delay the senescence process and to modify plant architecture. In addition, the use of engineered male sterile plants would be especially useful to produce environmentally friendly transgenic plants carrying new traits by preventing gene flow between the genetically modified ornamentals and related plant species. These characteristics could be of interest, from a commercial point of view, both for pelargonium producers and consumers.