Novel SlFUL2 orthologous genes and analysis of their expression in wild and cultivated tomato of the section Lycopersicon

Abstract

FRUITFULL (FUL) transcription factors, SlFUL1 and SlFUL2, are directly involved in the regulation of tomato fruit development. In the present study, complete sequences of novel SlFUL2 orthologous genes were isolated and structurally characterized in five accessions of domestic tomato Solanum lycopersicum and closely related wild species S. pimpinellifolium, having different morphological characteristics. In the studied genes, overall level of nucleotide sequence variation was 1.94%. Nine out of 11 exon-specific SNPs led to amino acid substitutions in the functionally important MADS, K, and C domains of the SlFUL2 orthologues. Considerable differences in the level and spatiotemporal dynamics of the expression patterns in different tomato organs at the species and intraspecific levels were observed.