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How do cytokinin hormones drive fruit cell expansion and growth in kiwifruit?

17 Jan 2020

Fruit growth is limited by carbon starvation. In kiwifruit, carbon starvation can happen when the leaf-to-fruit ratio is low on the vine but it can also be caused by environmental factors (such as high temperature or low light). 

A previous study demonstrated that long term carbon starvation has detrimental effects on carbohydrate, anthocyanin metabolism, and fruit growth in red kiwifruit.

In this study by scientists at Plant & Food Research, it was determined how fruit growth under restricted carbon supply is controlled at the phytohormonal level. 

The study found that of all the phytohormones, cytokinin concentration correlated with fruit weight and carbohydrate supply. The findings suggest that, in contrast to other fleshy fruits, in kiwifruit cytokinins not only promote cell division but also fruit cell expansion and growth. 

Funding for this study was provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Strategic Science Investment Fund

Journal Reference:Nardozza S, Cooney J, Boldingh HL, Hewitt KG, Trower T, Jones D, Thrimawithana AH, Allan AC, Richardson AC 2020. Phytohormone and transcriptomic analysis reveals endogenous cytokinins affect kiwifruit growth under restricted carbon supply. Metabolites (10) 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10010023

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