Effect of Exogenous Auxin Treatment on Cell Wall Polymers of Strawberry Fruit

The role of auxin in the fruit-ripening process during the early developmental stages of commercial strawberry fruits (Fragaria x ananassa) has been previously described, with auxin production occurring in achenes and moving to the receptacle. Additionally, fruit softening is a consequence of the depolymerization and solubilization of cell wall components produced by the action of a group of proteins and enzymes. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of exogenous auxin treatment on the physiological properties of the cell wall-associated polysaccharide contents of strawberry fruits. We combined thermogravimetric (TG) analysis with analyses of the mRNA abundance, enzymatic activity, and physiological characteristics related to the cell wall. The samples did not show a change in fruit firmness at 48 h post-treatment; by contrast, we showed changes in the cell wall stability based on TG and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis curves. Less degradation of the cell wall polymers was observed after auxin treatment at 48 h post-treatment. The results of our study indicate that auxin treatment delays the cell wall disassembly process in strawberries.

Hypermethylation of Auxin-Responsive Motifs in the Promoters of the Transcription Factor Genes Accompanies the Somatic Embryogenesis Induction in Arabidopsis

The auxin-induced embryogenic reprogramming of plant somatic cells is associated with extensive modulation of the gene expression in which epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, seem to play a crucial role. However, the function of DNA methylation, including the role of auxin in epigenetic regulation of the SE-controlling genes, remains poorly understood. Hence, in the present study, we analysed the expression and methylation of the TF genes that play a critical regulatory role during SE induction (LEC1, LEC2, BBM, WUS and AGL15) in auxin-treated explants of Arabidopsis. The results showed that auxin treatment substantially affected both the expression and methylation patterns of the SE-involved TF genes in a concentration-dependent manner. The auxin treatment differentially modulated the methylation of the promoter (P) and gene body (GB) sequences of the SE-involved genes. Relevantly, the SE-effective auxin treatment (5.0 µM of 2,4-D) was associated with the stable hypermethylation of the P regions of the SE-involved genes and a significantly higher methylation of the P than the GB fragments was a characteristic feature of the embryogenic culture. The presence of auxin-responsive (AuxRE) motifs in the hypermethylated P regions suggests that auxin might substantially contribute to the DNA methylation-mediated control of the SE-involved genes.

Transcriptome analysis of oil palm inflorescences revealed candidate genes for an auxin signaling pathway involved in parthenocarpy

Oil palm parthenocarpic fruits, which are produced without fertilization, can be targeted to increase oil content because the majority of the fruit is occupied by mesocarp, the part in which palm oil is stored. Consequently, gaining an understanding of the parthenocarpic mechanism would be instrumental for producing parthenocarpic oil palm. This study aims to determine effects of auxin treatment and analyze differentially expressed genes in oil palm pistils at the pollination/anthesis stage, using an RNA sequencing (RNA seq) approach. The auxin treatment caused 100% parthenocarpy when auxin was sprayed before stigmas opened. The parthenocarpy decreased to 55%, 8% and 5% when the auxin was sprayed 1, 2 and 3 days after the opening of stigmas, respectively. Oil palm plants used for RNA seq were plants untreated with auxin as controls and auxin-treated plants on the day before pollination and 1 day after pollination. The number of raw reads ranged from 8,425,859 to 11,811,166 reads, with an average size ranging from 99 to 137 base pairs (bp). When compared with the oil palm transcriptome, the mapped reads ranged from 8,179,948 to 11,320,799 reads, representing 95.85–98.01% of the oil palm matching. Based on five comparisons between RNA seq of treatments and controls, and confirmation using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and quantitative real-time RT-PCR expression, five candidate genes, including probable indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-amido synthetase GH3.8 (EgGH3.8), IAA-amido synthetase GH3.1 (EgGH3.1), IAA induced ARG7 like (EgARG7), tryptophan amino transferase-related protein 3-like (EgTAA3) and flavin-containing monooxygenase 1 (EgFMO1), were differentially expressed between auxin-treated and untreated samples. This evidence suggests a pathway of parthenocarpic fruit development at the beginning of fruit development. However, more research is needed to identify which genes are definitely involved in parthenocarpy.

Responses to Propagation Substrate and Rooting Hormone Products to Facilitate Asexual Propagation of Silene chalcedonica and Silene coronaria

Many ornamentals are commercially propagated by cuttings, which is an easy and cost-effective propagation method. Silene L. is a promising genus for extensive use as a landscape ornamental due to its drought tolerance, profuse flowering, and perennial characteristic. Silene is readily cross pollinated, so to ensure genetic purity for breeding and cultivar release, an asexual cutting propagation protocol needs to be established. Adventitious rooting of cuttings of Silene chalcedonica (L.) E.H.L. Krause and Silene coronaria (L.) Clairv. were evaluated using two different propagation substrates and three different root-promoting hormone products. Rooting percentage of S. chalcedonica cuttings was improved by Dip ‘N’ Grow treatment (1,000 mg·L−1), which contains 1% indole-3-butyric acid and 0.5% 1-napthaleneacetic acid, and Hormex Rooting Powder No. 1 (1,000 mg·L−1), which contains 0.10% indole-3-butyric acid; however, 89% of S. coronaria cuttings rooted readily in vermiculite without an auxin treatment. Therefore, rooting success of stem cuttings was highly species related. Because of the relatively low rooting percentage seen in vermiculite (46%) and in perlite (63%) using Dip ’N Grow auxin treatment for S. chalcedonica, an effective stem cutting propagation method still needs to be explored for this species.

Collection season and auxin treatment in the propagation by cuttings of mandarin hybrids

ABSTRACT Propagation by cuttings is an alternative for obtaining citrus rootstocks. The exogenous application of indolebutyric acid (IBA), cutting collection season and genotypes used may affect the rooting and vegetative growth of citrus rootstocks cuttings. Two experiments were conducted to study the influence of these factors. In the first one, semi-hardwood cuttings from the 'Sunki' mandarin hybrids H49 and H77 were collected in the fall and late spring of 2013 and treated with IBA (0 mg L-1, 1,500 mg L-1 and 3,000 mg L-1). For each collection season, a 2 x 3 (two genotypes x three IBA concentrations) factorial scheme was adopted, in a randomized blocks design. In the second experiment, the development of cuttings that rooted in the late spring was evaluated until grafting. In this case, a completely randomized experimental design was adopted, with the hybrids H49 and H77. The IBA treatments positively influenced rooting and number of roots only in the fall collection, peaking at 23.3 % of rooted cuttings. In the late spring collection, rooting was close to 100 %, with the IBA treatment being unnecessary. Around 50 % of cuttings from the 'Sunki' mandarin hybrids were ready for grafting at 14 months after cutting.