[en] Inflorescence architecture shows huge variation among flowering plants, especially in the amount of flowers and branching degree. In tomato, the formation of the inflorescence follows a sympodial pattern : the shoot apical meristem (SAM) acquires a floral meristem (FM) fate and forms the first flower while a lateral inflorescence meristem (IM) is initiated, which itself matures into a FM when a second IM is initiated, and so on. This sympodial mode of inflorescence development is regulated by a complex genetic network, which remains to be elucidated. Tomato is also used as a model in the study of abscission, an important process by which plants can isolate and drop different parts such as non fertilized flowers, damaged organs or ripe fruits. The lack of fruit abscission zone – the “jointless” phenotype – is associated with the j and j-2 mutations, which impair the function of two MADS-box genes: JOINTLESS (J) and SlMBP21. We are interested in understanding the functions of J, because j knock-out mutation does not only alter the abscission zone but causes inflorescence reversion to leaf production after the initiation of few flowers. Our goal is therefore to identify the targets of J by different molecular approaches.
