Fig. 6: Promoter activity analysis and functional characterization of MdTCP11.

a PCR analysis of the 167-bp deletion in the MdTCP11 promoter in different ‘Fuji’ clonal varieties. Detailed information about the varieties is provided in Supplementary Data 4. PCR amplification and electrophoresis were repeated three times independently with similar results. b Methylation levels of the MITE in standard-type and spur-type apple varieties. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 15 biological replicates). c Expression analysis of MdTCP11 treated with 5-AZA under control and exogenous gibberellin conditions. DMSO, the solvent for 5-AZA, was used as the control. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 3 biological replicates). * and ** indicate significant differences at P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively (two-sided Student’s t-tests). d LUC activity of the MdTCP11 promoter treated with GA₃. LUC-TCP11-ΔMITE-pro represents the promoter of the spur-type variety, while LUC-TCP11-pro represents the promoter of the standard-type variety. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 6 biological replicates). e Morphology of transgenic N. tabacum lines overexpressing MdTCP11 and the wild type (WT). f, g Plant height (f) and average internode length (g) of transgenic N. tabacum lines overexpressing MdTCP11. Values are means ± SE (n = 3 biological replicates). h Morphology of transgenic apple lines overexpressing MdTCP11 and the wild-type ‘GL-3’. i Plant height of transgenic apple lines overexpressing MdTCP11 and the wild-type ‘GL-3’. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 5 biological replicates). j Relative expression of transgenic apple lines overexpressing MdTCP11 and the wild-type ‘GL-3’. Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 3 biological replicates). Different letters in (d, f, g, i, j) indicate significant differences at P < 0.01 (one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-hoc comparisons). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.