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Article|14 Dec 2020|OPEN
A nuclear-localized cysteine desulfhydrase plays a role in fruit ripening in tomato
Kang-Di Hu1 , Xiao-Yue Zhang1 , Gai-Fang Yao1 , Yu-Lei Rong1 , Chen Ding1 , Jun Tang2 , Feng Yang2 , Zhong-Qin Huang2 , Zi-Mu Xu3 , Xiao-Yan Chen1 , Yan-Hong Li1 , Lan-Ying Hu1 and Hua Zhang,1 ,
1School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 230009 Hefei, China
2Xuzhou Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Xuhuai District of Jiangsu Province, 221131 Xuzhou, China
3School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, 230009 Hefei, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: hzhanglab@hfut.edu.cn

Horticulture Research 7,
Article number: 211 (2020)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-020-00439-1
Views: 803

Received: 31 May 2020
Revised: 07 Sep 2020
Accepted: 17 Oct 2020
Published online: 14 Dec 2020

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous signaling molecule that plays multiple roles in plant development. However, whether endogenous H2S plays a role in fruit ripening in tomato is still unknown. In this study, we show that the H2S-producing enzyme l-cysteine desulfhydrase SlLCD1 localizes to the nucleus. By constructing mutated forms of SlLCD1, we show that the amino acid residue K24 of SlLCD1 is the key amino acid that determines nuclear localization. Silencing of SlLCD1 by TRV-SlLCD1 accelerated fruit ripening and reduced H2S production compared with the control. A SlLCD1 gene-edited mutant obtained through CRISPR/Cas9 modification displayed a slightly dwarfed phenotype and accelerated fruit ripening. This mutant also showed increased cysteine content and produced less H2S, suggesting a role of SlLCD1 in H2S generation. Chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid accumulation were enhanced in the SlLCD1 mutant. Other ripening-related genes that play roles in chlorophyll degradation, carotenoid biosynthesis, cell wall degradation, ethylene biosynthesis, and the ethylene signaling pathway were enhanced at the transcriptional level in the lcd1 mutant. Total RNA was sequenced from unripe tomato fruit treated with exogenous H2S, and transcriptome analysis showed that ripening-related gene expression was suppressed. Based on the results for a SlLCD1 gene-edited mutant and exogenous H2S application, we propose that the nuclear-localized cysteine desulfhydrase SlLCD1 is required for endogenous H2S generation and participates in the regulation of tomato fruit ripening.