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Review
. 2018 Feb 23;69(5):955-962.
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erx446.

The making of virgin fruit: the molecular and genetic basis of parthenocarpy

Dirk Joldersma  1 , Zhongchi Liu  1
Affiliations
Review

The making of virgin fruit: the molecular and genetic basis of parthenocarpy

Dirk Joldersma et al. J Exp Bot. .

Abstract

Fruit set-the commitment of an angiosperm plant to develop fruit-is a key developmental process that normally occurs following successful fertilization. Parthenocarpy arises when fruit automatically develop in the absence of fertilization. This review uses parthenocarpic fruit development as a focal device through which to recapitulate and understand the molecular effectors that mediate and regulate fruit set. The review demonstrates that studies of parthenocarpy are providing vital insight into plant development, signaling and, potentially, high-value agricultural products.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Illustration of botanical and accessory fruits and seed composition. (A) An image of a strawberry seed illustrating the maternal diploid seed coat, triploid endosperm (false-color pink) and the diploid embryo (false-color green). Scale bar=100 μm. (B) An example of a botanical fruit. Seeds are embedded in the fruit flesh derived from the ovary wall of Annona squamosa (the sugar apple). The image is from Lora et al. (2011). (C) An example of an accessory fruit in Fragaria vesca (the wild strawberry). The fruit flesh is derived from the receptacle (stem tip) of a flower. The botanical fruit (achene) dots the surface of the receptacle.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Photos of parthenocarpic fruits in comparison with fertilized fruits. (A) Fruits of wild and seeded banana (Musa acuminata banksia). (B) Domesticated parthenocarpic banana fruit. (C) A fertilization-induced tomato fruit of the Monalbo variety. (D) The ‘Monalbo’ wild-type fruit cut in half. The locule is filled with pulp and the seed are clearly visible. (E) A parthenocarpic fruit from ‘Monalbo’ containing the abnormal arf8 mutant transgene. (F) The same parthenocarpic fruit in (E) cut in half. The central columella (c) is enlarged and the locule is filled with pulp, showing a seedless endocarp. Scale bars=1 cm in (C–F). Images (A) and (B) are from Sardos et al. (2016) under Creative Commons Attribution License; images in (C)–(F) are from Goetz M, Hooper LC, Johnson SD, Rodrigues JC, Vivian-Smith A, Koltunow AM. 2007. Expression of aberrant forms of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR8 stimulates parthenocarpy in Arabidopsis and tomato. Plant Physiology 145, 351–366, with permission (Copyright American Society of Plant Biologists).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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