Introducing Transformative Plant Biotechnology: Elucidating the role of beta-1,3-glucanases in tomato fruit development

• DOI: 10.52843/cassyni.95qj06
• Publication Date: 2023-12-14T12:00:28Z
• Authors: Richa Yeshvekar
• Keywords: Callose; Plasmodesma

Fruit ripening, although desirable, correlates with softening, enhanced pathogen susceptibility and bruising, causing losses. Thus, delaying ripening-associated softening is a major target in fruit breeding programmes. During the initial stages of development, phloem unloading essential signalling molecules sugars regulated via symplasmic transport through plasmodesmata (PD), while at later ripening stages, nutrients accumulate apoplastic (Paniagua et al., 2021a). Callose, cell wall polysaccharide deposited around PD, regulates transport. We used immunolocalization to show that callose deposition changed throughout development may regulate switch from structural mechanical changes cellulose during by using atomic force microscopy. To manipulate callose, three beta-1,3-glucanase (BG) genes (Solyc080660, Solyc055840, Solyc016470) were selected based on their expression 2021b). Overexpression BGs tomato hairy roots demonstrated degrading activity, thereby validating enzymatic activity. Transient overexpression fruits 4 weeks post anthesis showed significantly affect composition, structure, mechanics. could be as develop strategies for improvement softening. **Co-Authors**: Candelas Paniagua, Naomi Simmons, Lazar Novakovic, Pallavi Kumari, Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso