Fig. 5: Expression profiles of genes involved in hormone signal transduction and endogenous levels of auxin and JA.

a Network analysis showed overall responses of hormone signal transduction at 28 and 96 HAP. The signaling pathways of auxin (1) and JA (7) exhibited dramatic changes, where auxin signaling was promoted in the HNP ovaries, and JA signaling was suppressed in the HNP ovaries but promoted in the HP grains. b Endogenous levels of IAA and MeJA were consistently promoted in the HNP ovaries at both 28 and 96 HAP, and they were also promoted in the HP grains at 28 HAP but showed inconsistency at 96 HAP. c, d Genes involved in signal transduction of auxin and JA at 28 and 96 HAP. Players facilitating auxin signaling were mostly promoted in the HNP ovaries, whereas those facilitating JA signaling were mostly suppressed in the HNP ovaries but promoted in the HP grains. The fold change (FC) represents the ratio of the change in TPM value for each comparison. The absolute values of TPM in brackets represent the range between the minimum and maximum values of the gene in all treatments during that period. Values are mean with standard error. Student’s t-test, n = 3. Significant differences are indicated by asterisks, *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ns no significance, HAP hours after pollination, NP non-pollinated ovaries, CP completely pollinated ovaries, HP half pollinated ovaries, HNP half non-pollinated ovaries, IAA Aux/IAA-transcription factor, ARF Auxin response factor, GH3 gretchen hagen 3, SAUR small auxin up RNA, JAR Jasmonic acid-amido synthetase, COI coronatine insensitive, ZIM Zinc-finger protein expressed in inflorescence meristem, MYC Myelocytomatosis, JAZ jasmonate ZIM-domain protein.