Sl-IAA27 gene expression is induced during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in tomato and in Medicago truncatula.

Aux/IAA genes play a pivotal role in auxin transcriptional regulation. Their functions were mainly studied in Arabidopsis through analysis of gain-of-function mutants. In the tomato, the Solanaceae reference species, different studies on Sl-IAA down-regulated lines showed specific role for Sl-IAA genes. Our recent work revealed that the Sl-IAA 27 gene displays a distinct behavior compared with most Aux/IAA genes, being down-regulated by auxin. Interestingly, the silencing of Sl-IAA27 leads to altered chlorophyll accumulation in leaves, reduced fertilization, altered fruit development and altered root formation. Here we report that IAA27 could be a key auxin signaling gene involved in AM in tomato and also in Medicago model plant. Indeed both Sl-IAA27 and its closest homolog in Medicago truncatula, Mt-IAA27, are overexpressed in mycorrhized roots. These data are in line with the putative role of auxin in arbuscular mycorrhization.

Phenotypes associated with down-regulation of Sl-IAA27 support functional diversity among Aux/IAA family members in tomato.

The phytohormone auxin is known to regulate several aspects of plant development, and Aux/IAA transcription factors play a pivotal role in auxin signaling. To extend our understanding of the multiple functions of Aux/IAAs further, the present study describes the functional characterization of Sl-IAA27, a member of the tomato Aux/IAA gene family. Sl-IAA27 displays a distinct behavior compared with most Aux/IAA genes regarding the regulation of its expression by auxin, and the Sl-IAA27-encoded protein harbors a unique motif of unknown function also present in Sl-IAA9 and remarkably conserved in monocot and dicot species. Tomato transgenic plants underexpressing the Sl-IAA27 gene revealed multiple phenotypes related to vegetative and reproductive growth. Silencing of Sl-IAA27 results in higher auxin sensitivity, altered root development and reduced Chl content in leaves. Both ovule and pollen display a dramatic loss of fertility in Sl-IAA27 down-regulated lines, and the internal anatomy of the flower and the fruit are modified, with an enlarged placenta in smaller fruits. In line with the reduced Chl content in Sl-IAA27 RNA interference (RNAi) leaves, genes involved in Chl synthesis display lower expression at the level of transcript accumulation. Even though Sl-IAA27 is closely related to Sl-IAA9 in terms of sequence homology and the encoded proteins share common structural features, the data indicate that the two genes regulate tomato fruit initiation and development in a distinct manner.

The tomato SlIAA15 is involved in trichome formation and axillary shoot development.

The Aux/IAA genes encode a large family of short-lived proteins known to regulate auxin signalling in plants. Functional characterization of SlIAA15, a member of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Aux/IAA family, shows that the encoded protein acts as a strong repressor of auxin-dependent transcription. The physiological significance of SlIAA15 was addressed by a reverse genetics approach, revealing that SlIAA15 plays multiple roles in plant developmental processes. The SlIAA15 down-regulated lines display lower trichome number, reduced apical dominance with associated modified pattern of axillary shoot development, increased lateral root formation and decreased fruit set. Moreover, the leaves of SlIAA15-inhibited plants are dark green and thick, with larger pavement cells, longer palisade cells and larger intercellular space of spongy mesophyll cells. The SlIAA15-suppressed plants exhibit a strong reduction in type I, V and VI trichome formation, suggesting that auxin-dependent transcriptional regulation is required for trichome initiation. Concomitant with reduced trichome formation, the expression of some R2R3 MYB genes, putatively involved in the control of trichome differentiation, is altered. These phenotypes uncover novel and specialized roles for Aux/IAAs in plant developmental processes, clearly indicating that members of the Aux/IAA gene family in tomato perform both overlapping and specific functions.

Genome-wide identification, functional analysis and expression profiling of the Aux/IAA gene family in tomato.

Auxin is a central hormone that exerts pleiotropic effects on plant growth including the development of roots, shoots, flowers and fruit. The perception and signaling of the plant hormone auxin rely on the cooperative action of several components, among which auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins play a pivotal role. In this study, we identified and comprehensively analyzed the entire Aux/IAA gene family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a reference species for Solanaceae plants, and the model plant for fleshy fruit development. Functional characterization using a dedicated single cell system revealed that tomato Aux/IAA proteins function as active repressors of auxin-dependent gene transcription, with, however, different Aux/IAA members displaying varying levels of repression. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Aux/IAA gene family is slightly contracted in tomato compared with Arabidopsis, with a lower representation of non-canonical proteins. Sl-IAA genes display distinctive expression pattern in different tomato organs and tissues, and some of them display differential responses to auxin and ethylene, suggesting that Aux/IAAs may play a role in linking both hormone signaling pathways. The data presented here shed more light on Sl-IAA genes and provides new leads towards the elucidation of their function during plant development and in mediating hormone cross-talk.