Abstract
We report the cloning of
Style2.1
, the major quantitative trait locus responsible for a key floral attribute (style length) associated with the evolution of self-pollination in cultivated tomatoes. The gene encodes a putative transcription factor that regulates cell elongation in developing styles. The transition from cross-pollination to self-pollination was accompanied, not by a change in the STYLE2.1 protein, but rather by a mutation in the
Style2.1
promoter that results in a down-regulation of
Style2.1
expression during flower development.