Cultivated tomato represents a
diverse collection of plants that vary in many traits such as
fruit morphology. The diversity in fruit morphology provides a
rich source for studies on fruit development and organ
patterning. The understanding of the molecular and genetic
bases of diversity in fruit form will allow insights into
evolutionary processes of tomato domestication and selection.
This information will guide future experiments aimed at
increasing our understanding of domestication of other fruit and
vegetable crops. A historical overview of the origin of tomato
and the first recordings of the different morphologies is
described here
(Tomato Fruit Morphology).
Morphogenesis
is a critical process in all multicellular organisms and one
that is characterized by extreme complexity and substantial
diversity among organ types and species. The focus on tomato
fruit morphology allows us to gain detailed insights into the
identity and function of candidate and master regulator genes
with the goal to discover the underlying mechanisms of fruit
formation. The approach we are taking is multifaceted and
integrated, and will lead to significant advances in the
understanding of basic plant growth processes. Ultimately, a
better understanding of how fruit morphology is regulated will
lead to more efficient approaches to develop new varieties with
specific morphological traits.
The main objectives of the tomato
fruit morphology project are i) to identify and characterize
genes controlling tomato fruit shape and size, and ii) to
discover the underlying molecular networks that control fruit
morphogenesis. To do so, transcript, metabolite and hormone
profiles will be generated for genes controlling tomato
morphology while new shape and size genes will be genetically
mapped and cloned. Furthermore, tomato fruit shapes will
be described in mathematical terms to aid standardization and
classification of the diverse fruit types. Lastly, models of the
molecular networks present in tomato connecting gene expression,
hormone and metabolite accumulation with morphology will be
generated. The co-investigators of this project are: Carmen
Catalá (Boyce Thompson Institute), Brian McSpadden Gardener
(Ohio State/OARDC), Sofia Visa (The College of Wooster). The
collaborators of this project are: Carri Gerber (Ohio
State/ATI), Yuji Kamiya (RIKEN, Yokohama Japan), Kazuki Saito
(RIKEN and Chiba University, Chiba Japan), Simon Gray, John
Ramsay (The College of Wooster). More information about this
project can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0922661