Characteristics of transgenic tomatoes antisensed for the ethylene receptor genes LeETR1 [corrected] and LeETR2 [corrected].

Two stable transformed lines containing antisense LeETR1 [corrected] or LeETR2 [corrected] sequences and their hybridized line were investigated to determine the effect of LeETR1 [corrected] and LeETR2 [corrected] specificity in the ethylene receptor family in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) on ethylene signaling. The transgenic line ale1 containing antisense LeETR1 [corrected] displayed shorter length of seedling grown in the dark and adult plant in the light, severe epinastic petiole, and accelerated abscission of petiole explant and senescence of flower explant, compared with its wild type B1. The transgenic line ale2 containing antisense LeETR2 [corrected] also exhibited shorter hypocotyls and slightly accelerated abscission. The phenotypes of cross line dale of LeETR1 [corrected] and LeETR2 [corrected] were close to ale1 in many aspects. These results suggested that LeETR1 [corrected] probably plays a relatively important role in ethylene signaling of tomato growth and development.