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<p>Parthenocarpy is a valuable trait for greenhouse squash production, but the molecular basis of fruit set without pollination or fertilization remains unclear. The ethylene-insensitive <i>etr2b</i> mutation confers parthenocarpic fruit development, indicating that ethylene acts as a negative regulator of fruit set. Here, we analyzed the hormonal profile, the transcriptomic and epigenetic changes occurring in unfertilized ovaries of both WT and <i>etr2b</i> at anthesis and 3&#xa0;days post anthesis (DPA). At 3 DPA, WT ovaries aborted while those of the mutant showed parthenocarpic development, with no significant transcriptomic changes detected in <i>etr2b</i> ovaries between 0 and 3 DPA. The delayed flower opening observed in the mutant supports the idea that ethylene-mediated parthenocarpy in <i>etr2b</i> is a passive mechanism that maintains ovary growth when the regulatory decision at anthesis is not activated. By contrast, many transcriptomic changes between WT and <i>etr2b</i> fruits were found at 3 DPA. Downstream analysis of DEGs revealed the hormonal crosstalk underlying <i>etr2b</i>-induced parthenocarpy. Although global DNA methylation levels remained stable, analysis revealed a redistribution of methylation with specific genomic regions exhibiting methylation or demethylation in the mutant relative to WT. Among the 4748 DEGs associated with parthenocarpy, approximately 15% contained DMRs, evidencing epigenetic regulation mediated by the <i>etr2b</i> mutation. The accumulation of the ethylene precursor ACC, together with ABA promoted WT ovary abortion at 3 DPA through a jasmonate-independent pathway, whereas cytokinins, auxins, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids acted as positive regulators of <i>etr2b</i> parthenocarpy. Several genes have been identified as putative regulators of ethylene-insensitive parthenocarpic fruit development.</p>

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Genome-Wide Methylation and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Hormonal Crosstalk in Ethylene-Mediated Parthenocarpy of Zucchini

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月26日

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  • Alicia García,
  • Flavio Gabrieli,
  • María Segura,
  • Alejandro Castro-Cegrí,
  • Francisco Palma,
  • Dolores Garrido,
  • Gianpiero Marconi,
  • Emidio Albertini,
  • Manuel Jamilena

摘要

Parthenocarpy is a valuable trait for greenhouse squash production, but the molecular basis of fruit set without pollination or fertilization remains unclear. The ethylene-insensitive etr2b mutation confers parthenocarpic fruit development, indicating that ethylene acts as a negative regulator of fruit set. Here, we analyzed the hormonal profile, the transcriptomic and epigenetic changes occurring in unfertilized ovaries of both WT and etr2b at anthesis and 3 days post anthesis (DPA). At 3 DPA, WT ovaries aborted while those of the mutant showed parthenocarpic development, with no significant transcriptomic changes detected in etr2b ovaries between 0 and 3 DPA. The delayed flower opening observed in the mutant supports the idea that ethylene-mediated parthenocarpy in etr2b is a passive mechanism that maintains ovary growth when the regulatory decision at anthesis is not activated. By contrast, many transcriptomic changes between WT and etr2b fruits were found at 3 DPA. Downstream analysis of DEGs revealed the hormonal crosstalk underlying etr2b-induced parthenocarpy. Although global DNA methylation levels remained stable, analysis revealed a redistribution of methylation with specific genomic regions exhibiting methylation or demethylation in the mutant relative to WT. Among the 4748 DEGs associated with parthenocarpy, approximately 15% contained DMRs, evidencing epigenetic regulation mediated by the etr2b mutation. The accumulation of the ethylene precursor ACC, together with ABA promoted WT ovary abortion at 3 DPA through a jasmonate-independent pathway, whereas cytokinins, auxins, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids acted as positive regulators of etr2b parthenocarpy. Several genes have been identified as putative regulators of ethylene-insensitive parthenocarpic fruit development.