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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2025, Vol. 24 Issue (10): 3880-3894    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.02.017
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Functional insights into the FW2.2-like gene family in Chinese jujube: Identification, characterization, and impact of ZjFWL10 variants on fruit size and plant height

Meiyu Li1, 4*, Liyun Mao1*, Shuang Song2, Decang Kong3, Ming Cao3, Lijun Jiao5, Wenhao Bo1#, Xiaoming Pang1#

1 State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding/National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration/Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

2 Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences/Hebei Saline and Alkali Land Greening Engineering Technology Center, Tangshan 063299, China

3 National Foundation for Improved Cultivars of Chinese Jujube, Cangzhou 061000, China

4 Henan Province Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Eco-economic Woody Plant, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan 467000, China

5 Shuangjing Forest Farm, Aohan Banner, Chifeng 028000, China

 Highlights 
A 7-bp deletion in the PLAC8 domain of ZjFWL10 is significantly associated with reduced jujube fruit size.
ZjFWL10 overexpression in tomato suppresses fruit size and increases plant height.
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摘要  
FW2.2-like (FWL)基因家族已经在多种物种中进行了广泛研究,揭示了某些成员在器官发育中,特别是调控果实大小方面的保守功能。因此,对于研究基础比较薄弱的物种,包括中国枣在内,分析这一基因家族是筛选果实大小候选基因的有效途径。在本研究中,我们鉴定了20个ZjFWL基因,全面分析了它们的染色体分布、系统发育关系、基因结构、进化动态、表达模式及其启动子中的顺式作用元件。ZjFWL10序列的自然变异分析表明,其保守结构域中的7个碱基缺失与枣果实大小存在显著相关性。为了验证7个碱基缺失基因型的功能,我们在番茄中进行了异源过表达试验,获得了三个过表达株系。与野生型相比,过表达株系的果实大小显著减小,而株高显著增加。这表明该基因可能在枣的营养分配中发挥关键作用,最终影响果实大小。这些发现为揭示果实大小调控机制提供了重要的见解,并为针对枣果实大小的遗传改良提供了有价值的参考。




Abstract  

The FW2.2-like (FWL) gene family has been extensively studied across multiple species, demonstrating conserved functions among specific members in organ development, particularly in fruit size regulation.  For species with limited research foundations, such as Chinese jujube, analyzing this gene family is an effective approach to identify candidate genes for fruit size.  This study identified twenty ZjFWL genes and comprehensively analyzed their chromosomal distribution, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, evolutionary dynamics, expression patterns, and cis-acting elements in their promoters.  Natural variation analysis of the ZjFWL10 sequence identified a significant correlation between a seven-base pair deletion in the conserved domain and jujube fruit size.  To validate the functional implications of the seven-base pair deletion genotype, heterologous overexpression experiments were conducted in tomatoes, generating three overexpression lines.  Comparative analysis with the wild-type demonstrated a significant reduction in fruit size and a notable increase in plant height in the overexpressed lines.  This gene may play a critical role in regulating nutrient partitioning in jujube, ultimately affecting fruit size.  These findings advance our understanding of fruit size regulation mechanisms and offer valuable insights for genetic improvement strategies targeting jujube fruit size.

Keywords:  FWL       gene family        fruit size        Chinese jujube  
Received: 06 July 2024   Online: 17 February 2025   Accepted: 20 January 2025
Fund: This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31800559), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2200404), the National XA Science and Technology Innovation Project, China (2022XACX1100), the Science and Technology Major Project of Guangxi, China (‘Guike’AB16380060), and the central government guides local science and technology development project “Germplasm Innovation of Xinjiang Characteristic Fruit Tree”, and partly supported by the open funds of the National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, China.
About author:  #Correspondence Wenhao Bo, E-mail: bowenhao@bjfu.edu.cn; Xiaoming Pang, E-mail: xmpang@163.com * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

Meiyu Li, Liyun Mao, Shuang Song, Decang Kong, Ming Cao, Lijun Jiao, Wenhao Bo, Xiaoming Pang. 2025. Functional insights into the FW2.2-like gene family in Chinese jujube: Identification, characterization, and impact of ZjFWL10 variants on fruit size and plant height. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 24(10): 3880-3894.

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