Molecular mechanisms underlying the determination of axillary bud fate and outgrowth into branch crown in strawberry

In strawberry, the axillary bud (AXB) can produce either an elongated stem called stolon giving a daughter-plant (asexual reproduction) or an inflorescence-bearing branch crown (BC) (sexual reproduction). The fate of the AXB depends on node position on the axis and on genetic and environmental factors. Here, in Fragaria vesca, we addressed the largely unanswered question of how molecular factors determine AXB fate. To get insights into the mechanisms already at play in a morphologically indistinguishable (undifferentiated) AXB, depending on its fate, we combined (1) the phenotypic characterization of AXB development throughout plant growth with (2) the RNA-seq analysis of undifferentiated AXBs, using three different genotypes producing either BCs or stolons (fvetfl1 and fvega20ox mutants, FveFT3 overexpressor). Results allowed the identification of genes regulating AXB fate and outgrowth, among which FveBRC1. The analysis of FveBRC1 expression in genotypes combining various traits (perpetual/seasonal flowering; runnering/runneless) and the generation of CRISPR/Cas9 brc1 mutants further demonstrated that FveBRC1 plays a central role in the determination of AXB fate in strawberry, in addition to its well-known function in BC outgrowth. These original results provide new insights into the determination of AXB fate and, consequently, the control of fruit yield in strawberry.