The FW2.2/CNR protein regulates cell-to-cell communication in tomato by modulating callose deposition at plasmodesmata

Abstract

The FW2.2 gene is the founding member of the CELL NUMBER REGULATOR (CNR) gene family. More than 20 years ago, FW2.2 was the first cloned gene underlying a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) governing fruit size/weight in tomato. However, despite this discovery, the molecular mechanisms by which FW2.2 acts as a negative regulator of cell divisions during fruit growth remain undeciphered. In the present study, we confirm that FW2.2 is a transmembrane spanning protein, whose both N- and C-terminal ends are facing the apoplast. We unexpectedly found that FW2.2 is located at plasmodesmata (PD). FW2.2 participates in the spatiotemporal regulation of callose deposition at PD via an interaction with Callose Synthases, which suggests a regulatory role in cell-to-cell communication by modulating PD transport capacity and trafficking of signaling molecules during fruit development.