Tomato Parthenocarpy Through EMS Mutation Without Pleiotropic Effects
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inducing parthenocarpy in tomatoes often result in undesirable pleiotropic effects such as malformed fruits, short anthers, abnormal stamens, and low fertility, and there is a need for a genetic source of fertilisation independent fruit formation without these negative side effects.
Innovation Solution
A tomato plant with a mutation induced by random genetic modification, specifically using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis, which allows for fertilisation independent fruit formation without pleiotropic effects, characterized by fruit size similar to fertilized fruits, seedlessness, and normal coloration and ripening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If auxin or gibberellin is applied to unfertilised ovules to induce fruit formation, then fruit set is improved under suboptimal conditions, but fruit shape irregularities occur and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and isolates the specific genetic mechanism (parthenocarpy mutation) that enables fruit formation without fertilisation, separating this desired function from the harmful side effects of hormone application. The mutation specifically affects the fruit development pathway while leaving other plant functions intact, thus achieving reliable fruit set without shape irregularities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the genetic parameter of the plant through mutation, creating a permanent genetic alteration that enables parthenocarpy. This genetic parameter change replaces the need for external hormone application, providing consistent fruit set reliability while maintaining normal fruit shape development through the plant's endogenous regulatory systems.
2Reliability
If existing parthenocarpic mutants are used, then fertilisation independent fruit formation is achieved, but pleiotropic effects such as malformed fruits, short anthers, abnormal stamens, and low fertility occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the random mutagenesis process, which typically produces harmful pleiotropic effects, into a beneficial outcome by systematically screening for rare mutations that specifically affect only the fruit formation pathway. The random mutagenesis with EMS creates genetic variation, and the selection process identifies the beneficial parthenocarpic mutation while eliminating lines with harmful pleiotropic effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention achieves local quality by creating a mutation that specifically affects the fruit development pathway (parthenocarpy) while leaving other plant functions (anther development, stamen function, fertility) unchanged. This localized genetic effect is achieved through random mutagenesis followed by selective screening for mutations that confer parthenocarpy without accompanying pleiotropic effects.
3Adaptability or versatility
If random mutagenesis is performed to find parthenocarpic mutants, then fertilisation independent fruit formation can be obtained, but extensive screening is required to eliminate pleiotropic effects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by using random mutagenesis with EMS to create a population of mutated plants, then performing preliminary screening to identify and eliminate lines with obvious pleiotropic effects before final selection. This preliminary filtering reduces the workload of extensive screening while ensuring that only clean parthenocarpic mutants are selected for further development.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces tomatoes with fruits that are seedless, similar in size and ripening to fertilized fruits, without any negative pleiotropic effects, achieved through unbiased genetic screening and phenotypic selection.
Implementation Method 1
A tomato plant with a mutation induced by random genetic modification, specifically using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tomato plant comprising the trait fertilization independent fruit formation without negative pleiotropic effects selected from malformed fruits, short anthers, abnormal stamens, and low fertility, wherein the fruits that are formed independently from fertilization have a size similar to the size of fruits formed after fertilization, have jelly in the fruit and a complete absence of seeds, and have a coloration and ripening process comparable to tomato fruits that are formed after fertilization. The present invention further relates to a tomato plant as described above, wherein this trait is obtained from a plant representative seed of which was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41269. Finally, the present invention relates to various forms of propagation material of the tomato plant comprising the traits described above.