The expression of ethylene synthesis and ethylene perception genes is altered in <i>SlARF2AB-RNAi</i> plants.

<p>(A) Expression of ethylene synthesis pathway genes in <i>SlARF2AB-RNAi</i> lines assed by Quantitative RT-PCR. <i>ACO1</i>, <i>ACO2</i>, <i>ACO3</i>, <i>ACO4</i> aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase; <i>ACS1</i>, <i>ACS2</i>, <i>ACS3</i>, <i>ACS4</i>, <i>ACS6</i> aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthases. (B) Expression of ethylene perception genes in <i>SlARF2AB-RNAi</i> assessed by Quantitative RT-PCR. EIN2 ethylene signaling protein; EIL2 and EIL3 are EIN3-like proteins; ETR1, ETR2, ETR3 (NR, never-ripe), ETR4, ETR5, ETR6 ethylene receptors; CTR1 ethylene-responsive protein kinase. ABL1 refers to <i>SlARF2AB-RNAi</i> line 311. Total RNA was extracted from different fruit developmental stages (breaker, Br; Br+2, 2 days post-breaker; Br+8, 8 days post-breaker). The relative mRNA levels of each gene in WT at the breaker (Br) stage were standardized to 1.0, referring to the <i>SlActin</i> gene as internal control. Error bars mean ±SD of three biological replicates. Stars indicate statistical significance using Student’s t-test: * p-value<0.05, ** p-value<0.01.