Recognizing Plant Physiology authors: Suresh Kumar Gupta
Suresh Kumar Gupta, first author of Tomato agl6 parthenocarpy is facilitated by ovule integument reprogramming involving the growth regulator KLUH
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Tzahi Arazi Lab at the Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel
Education: Ph.D. in Plant Sciences, at RTGR, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Non-scientific Interests: swimming, playing cricket, and reading
Brief bio: I completed my Ph.D. in Plant Sciences in 2014 from RTGR, University of Hyderabad, India, in Prof. R. P. Sharma Lab. My Ph.D. work focused on the roles of phytochrome genes as well as nitric oxide (NO) and ethylene in the development and ripening of tomato fruit using respective mutants.
I joined Dr. Tzahi Arazi lab at ARO, Volcani Center, Israel in 2015, and engaged in the research on elucidation of fertilization-dependent fruit set mechanism in tomato using the slagl6 parthenocarpic mutant. We demonstrated that SlAGL6 acts from within the ovule’s integument as a switch that, unless turned off by fertilization, suppresses SlKLUH and additional genes characteristic of fertilized ovule, to prevent the futile production of tomato seedless fruit. In addition, I am studying the function of miRNA in the development and ripening of tomato fruits via the characterization of their CRISPR loss-of-function mutants. In the future, I’m interested to understand the role of novel genes and epigenetic modifiers in the regulation of fruit initiation, development, and ripening.
