Study of the molecular mechanism of seedless fruit formation regulated by the blueberry BR6OX1 gene via heterologous transformation in tomato and transcriptomic analysis.

Authors

Wei Xingru, Wu Huiling, Hu Lichao, Wang Xiaomin, Zeng Qilong, Wu Yaqiong, Wu Wenlong, Li Weilin, Tian Liangliang

Published in

Plant cell reports. Volume 45. Issue 7. Jun 24, 2026. Epub Jun 24, 2026.

Abstract

Heterologous over expression of blueberry VcBR6OX1 triggers seedless/low-seed tomatoes via elevatingendogenous GA4, reshaping multi-hormone homeostasis and modulating hormone signal transductionpathways to regulate seed development as confirmed by transcriptome analysis. If highlight marking is needed, it is shown as follows: （1） Heterologous overexpression of the blueberry VcBR6OX1 gene can induce seedless or low-seedtomato fruits; （2） The endogenous gibberellin GA4 in transgenic plants is significantly increased, and the dynamichomeostasis of the multiple hormone network is reconfigured （3） Transcriptome analysis reveals that BR6OX1 affects seed development by regulating the hormonesignal transduction pathway. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) have attracted widespread attention due to their unique flavor and high antioxidant activity. However, the high seed content of some blueberry cultivars affects their texture and processing costs. The development of seedless or low-seed cultivars is essential for improving fruit quality and economic benefits. This study used bioinformatics, genetic transformation, and transcriptomic analysis to investigate the role and regulatory mechanisms of the blueberry Brassinosteroid-6-oxidase 1 (BR6OX1) gene in the formation of seedless fruits. The results revealed that the BR6OX1 gene in blueberries encodes an unstable hydrophilic protein with a conserved cytochrome P450 superfamily domain and is highly evolutionarily similar to that in closely related species. The introduction of the BR6OX1 gene into tomatoes revealed that its overexpression significantly affects the growth and development of tomato plants, resulting in seedless or low-seeded fruits. Endogenous hormone analysis revealed that the gibberellic acid (GA4) content significantly increased in the transgenic tomato plants, whereas the auxin (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) contents exhibited differential changes at different developmental stages. Further transcriptome analysis of the transgenic plants revealed that BR6OX1 overexpression significantly affects plant hormone signaling pathways, particularly by causing significant changes in the expression of genes related to hormone synthesis and signaling, such as those encoding auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, and ethylene. These results suggest that the BR6OX1 gene may influence fruit set by regulating the balance of plant hormones. This study provides an important theoretical basis for developing seedless blueberries and lays the foundation for the application of this gene in the improvement of fruit quality.

PMID:
42340497
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Jun 2026.

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