Characteristics of transgenic tomatoes antisensed for the ethylene receptor genes LeERT1 and LeERT2

Abstract

Two stable transformed lines containing antisense LeETR1 [corrected] or LeETR2 [corrected] sequences and their hybridized line were investigated to determine the effect of LeETR1 [corrected] and LeETR2 [corrected] specificity in the ethylene receptor family in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) on ethylene signaling. The transgenic line ale1 containing antisense LeETR1 [corrected] displayed shorter length of seedling grown in the dark and adult plant in the light, severe epinastic petiole, and accelerated abscission of petiole explant and senescence of flower explant, compared with its wild type B1. The transgenic line ale2 containing antisense LeETR2 [corrected] also exhibited shorter hypocotyls and slightly accelerated abscission. The phenotypes of cross line dale of LeETR1 [corrected] and LeETR2 [corrected] were close to ale1 in many aspects. These results suggested that LeETR1 [corrected] probably plays a relatively important role in ethylene signaling of tomato growth and development.

Ethylene sensitivity and relative air humidity regulate root hydraulic properties in tomato plants

“…However, the modulation of ET in these mutants could occur at the perception level, as tomato plants responses to ET are mediated by a family of six receptors isoforms (Sl-ETR1-6) that bind ET with high affinity (O'Malley et al 2005). The subfamily of receptors I (SL-ETR1-3), to which nr mutation belongs, is supposed to play a major role in ET signaling in different aspects of tomato development and not just at the ripening level (Whitelaw et al 2002;Wang et al 2006), while subfamily II (Sl-ETR4, 5 and 6) have a predominant role in controlling fruit ripening. As in the case of the ET receptors in Arabidopsis, all of them could be contributing to ET signaling and may overlap functionally (even though they do not need to be entirely redundant).…”