Closed floral structure for self-pollination in cultivated tomato.

ABSTRACT

Cultivated tomatoes exhibit cleistogamy - self-pollination within closed flowers. Wu et al. report that three HD-Zip IV genes and Style2.1 coordinately control anther trichome formation and style length to form closed anther cones that underpin the development of cleistogamy. Further exploration of causal variation and regulatory elements could provide targets for plant breeding.