Genetic Regulation of Fruit Development in Solanaceae

The Solanaceae family encompasses major fruit crops such as tomato, pepper and eggplant, whose diversity in shape, size and internal anatomy reflects complex genetic programmes. Fruit development is orchestrated by networks of transcription factors, phytohormonal signals and cell‐cycle regulators that together modulate organ initiation, cell division and expansion. Key regulators include OVATE Family Proteins (OFPs) and TONNEAU1 Recruiting Motif (TRM) proteins, which form dynamic complexes to influence cell division patterns and organ geometry. Parallel pathways involve IQ67 domain (IQD) proteins that integrate calcium signalling with cytoskeletal organisation, and members of the AP2/ERF and YABBY families that control meristem activity and locule number. Many traits map to quantitative trait loci (QTLs) where cis-regulatory mutations in promoters fine-tune gene expression during floral and fruit development. Advances in genome editing and high-resolution mapping have accelerated the identification of loci underlying fruit weight, locule number and shape, enabling the dissection of domestication alleles and guiding precision breeding for yield and quality improvements globally.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have revealed a broadly conserved mechanism by which OFP and TRM proteins coordinate to generate fruit morphological diversity. Physical interactions between members of these families direct subcellular relocalisation of protein complexes, thereby establishing spatial patterns of cell proliferation in the ovary. Functional characterisation using gene editing has demonstrated that perturbation of OFP–TRM modules alters the balance of longitudinal versus transverse cell divisions, leading to distinct fruit shapes. Comparative analyses across multiple Solanaceae species indicate that this regulatory framework is central to the evolution of organ form and may extend to other fleshy fruits beyond the family.

Genetic Regulation of Fruit Development in Solanaceae publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic regulation of fruit development in solanaceae across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

OVATE Family Proteins (OFP): Plant‐specific transcriptional regulators characterised by a conserved OVATE domain that modulate organ shape.

TONNEAU1 Recruiting Motif proteins (TRM): Cytoskeletal‐associated proteins that interact with OFPs to influence cell division orientation.

IQ67 Domain Proteins (IQD): Calmodulin‐binding proteins that integrate calcium signalling with microtubule organisation.

CRISPR–Cas9: A genome‐editing platform enabling precise gene knockouts and targeted mutations.

cis-Regulatory Mutation: A change in non-coding DNA that alters the timing, location or level of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL): A genomic region containing genes that contribute to variation in a quantitative trait such as fruit size.

References

1. A combinatorial TRM‐OFP module bilaterally fine‐tunes tomato fruit shape. New Phytologist (2023).
2. A common genetic mechanism underlies morphological diversity in fruits and other plant organs. Nature Communications (2018).
3. Fruit weight is controlled by Cell Size Regulator encoding a novel protein that is expressed in maturing tomato fruits. PLOS Genetics (2017).
4. Overview of OVATE FAMILY PROTEINS, A Novel Class of Plant-Specific Growth Regulators. Frontiers in Plant Science (2016).