Functional characterization of a Sec14-like protein involved with tomato fruit tocopherol content

BERMUDEZ L, DE GODOY F, OTAIZA S, ASIS R, CARRARI, ROSSI M

Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Congreso; XLVI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en; 2010

  Functional characterization of a Sec14-like protein involved with tomato fruit tocopherol content Bermudez L1, De Godoy F1, Otaiza S2, Asis R2, Carrari3, Rossi M1. 1Departamento de Botânica IB USP, Brasil 2CIBICI UNC Cordobá, Argentina 3IB INTA Castelar, Argentina Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important food crop worldwide and represents an excellent model plant for genomics and fruit metabolism research. Numerous wild related species have demonstrated to be an untapped source of valuable genetic variability including nutritional and industrial quality traits. Based on metabolic QTL mapping data from a S. pennellii introgression lines population, our group has identified a SEC14-like protein co-localizing with a α-tocopherol QTL on chromosome 9 (segment 9BDE). SEC14-like proteins have been identified in all kingdoms and showed to be involved in membrane trafficking, regulation of phospholipid metabolism and phosphoinositide signaling pathways. Sequence analyses revealed amino acid polymorphisms between the S. lycopersicum and S. pennellii alleles. Moreover, expression profiles in different tomato tissues also showed differential expression levels in mature fruits. Sub-cellular localization experiments showed that this protein is targeted to chloroplasts. Analyses of iRNA plants suggest impairment in the photosynthetic performance in silenced plants. These results underpin the involvement of the SEC14-like protein in tomato fruit tocopherol content.