Fig. 2.

Phenotypic analysis of CsDFB1 transgenic plants. (A) RT-qPCR analysis of CsDFB1 (Csa7G067350) expression in floral buds from WT plants, RNA interference lines (RNAi#18 and RNAi#33), and overexpression lines (OE#3 and OE#27). Error bars indicate SD of three biological replicates from different plants. (B–I) Detailed phenotypes of MFB (B–D) and FFB (E–I) from transgenic lines (RNAi#18 and OE#3) and WT plants as control. (B, C, E, and F) Morphological characteristics of petals from MFBs (B) and FFBs (E), stamens (C), and stigma (F). (G) Hand cross-section of ovary/fruit. (H) Paraffin cross-sections of MVBs in the ovary/fruit. Yellow, blue, and red regions indicate the EP, xylem, and IP, respectively. (D and I) Hand cross-sections of pedicels (D) and peduncles (I) stained with phloroglucinol. Red regions indicate the presence of lignified xylem cells. Blue and white numbers indicate the number of petals (B and E), stigma (F), and carpels (G), respectively; red arrows in G indicate the position of MVBs. (Scale bars, 1 cm in B and E; 1 mm in D, G, and I; 500 μm in C and F; and 100 μm in H.) (J) Morphology of cucumber fruits after 30 d of development. Red asterisk indicates organ (fruit) fusion in OE lines. (Scale bar, 2 cm.) (K) Summary of floral organ number and MVB number in the WT and transgenic plants. Error bars indicate SD of 50 flowers from around 10 individual plants. Significance analysis was conducted with the two-tailed Student’s t test (***P < 0.001; **P < 0.01). Abbreviations: DEFORMED FLORAL BUD1 (CsDFB1); MFB, male floral bud; FFB, female floral bud; EP, external phloem; X, xylem; IP, internal phloem; and MVB, main vascular bundles.