Knock-out SlJAZ11, interferes with fruit ripening and carotenoid accumulation in tomato

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a crucial plant hormone that influences plant defense , fruit ripening, pollen fertility, and secondary metabolism. However, research on the role of JAZ family proteins in the regulation of fruit ripening within the jasmonic acid signaling pathway remains limited. To investigate the function of the SlJAZ11 protein in the tomato jasmonic acid signaling pathway, we found that the knockout of SlJAZ11 delayed fruit ripening, altered the expression of genes associated with the carotenoid synthesis pathway, and decreased carotenoid accumulation. In the SlJAZ11 knockout line, the expressions of ethylene biosynthesis genes and signal transduction genes, including SlACO1, SlACO3, SlACS2, SlACS4, SlERF.C1 and SlERF.E1 , as well as fruit ripening-related genes such as SlE4, SlE8, SlLOXB, SlPG, SlXTH5 and SlRIN , were significantly down-regulated. These findings suggest that SlJAZ11 regulates fruit ripening by modulating carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis.