Developmental genetics of fruit diversity in Brassicaceae

Abstract

Fruit represents one of the key morphological innovations associated with explosive radiation of angiosperms. Fruits are also the source of vitamins and proteins essential for the human health. Natural selection has led to extraordinarily diverse fruit characters, observed by color, shape, size, texture, and others. Studies in Arabidopsis indicate fruit growth and shattering require the fine-tuned balance between phytohormones and the associated regulatory pathways, which direct anisotropic cell growth in the valves and cell identity specification in the dehiscent zone (DZ), respectively. Moreover, comparative studies in Arabidopsis and its relatives, such as Capsella rubella and Cardamine hirsuta, identified the key cellular innovations and genetic components leading to fruit diversification in Brassicaceae. Altogether, this wealth of information lies the foundation to improve crop performance and address the issues of food security.