Regulation of auxin responses in tomato fruit development

Abstract

The transformation from an ovary to a rapidly growing fruit includes molecular, biochemical and structural changes that must be tightly coordinated. Depending on the phase of fruit development, the temporal and spatial organization of these changes is mediated by phytohormones, such as auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid and ethylene. That auxin and gibberellin also act as important factors early in the initiation of fruit development was already established in the early 20th century. However, to date, the complex regulatory network that is controlled by these hormones is still poorly understood. The aim of the research presented in this thesis was to gain more insight in the molecular mechanisms that regulate fruit set and development by the characterization and functional analysis of two members of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) gene family that previously were found to be differentially expressed during tomato fruit set.