Identification of the zinc finger transcription factor SlZFP2 as a new regulator of locular tissue morphogenesis

LT is essential for seed development and dispersal, preventing early germination and initiating fruit ripening. In this work, we studied a “gel-less” mutant and identified the underlying mutation in the coding sequence of the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor (TF) SlZFP2.

Histological, cytological and molecular characterization of zfp2-CRISPR/Cas9 knockout lines revealed an early and significant impact of zfp2 disruption on cell division and endoreduplication in LT. Further, model-based analysis of cellular data revealed that the cell division was the main altered process explaining the zfp2 mutant phenotype. RNA-seq analysis of young LT further highlighted global transcriptional changes of cell cycle-related genes between WT and zfp2 mutants, providing new insights into the molecular players involved in locular tissue differentiation.