Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in the regulation of strawberry fruit ripening; however, the origin of the ABA signal is largely unknown. Here, we report an autocatalytic mechanism for ABA biosynthesis and its synergistic interaction with auxin to regulate strawberry fruit ripening. We demonstrate that ABA biosynthesis is self-induced in the achenes but not in the receptacle, resulting in its substantial accumulation during ripening. ABA was found to regulate both IAA transport and biosynthesis, thereby modulating IAA content during both early fruit growth and later fruit ripening. Taken together, these results reveal the origins of the ABA signal and demonstrate the importance of its coordinated action with IAA in the regulation of strawberry fruit development and ripening.

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