Negative Regulation of the SHATTERPROOF Genes by FRUITFULL During Arabidopsis Fruit Development

The terminal step of fruit development in Arabidopsis involves valve separation from the replum, allowing seed dispersal. This process requires the activities of the SHATTERPROOF MADS-box genes, which promote dehiscence zone differentiation at the valve/replum boundary. Here we show that the FRUITFULL MADS-box gene, which is necessary for fruit valve differentiation, is a negative regulator of SHATTERPROOF expression and that constitutive expression of FRUITFULL is sufficient to prevent formation of the dehiscence zone. Our studies suggest that ectopic expression of FRUITFULL may directly allow the control of pod shatter in oilseed crops such as canola.