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Cell wall invertase (CWIN) are known to play important roles in seed development. However, most reports to date have focused on a single gene family member, and have mainly investigated CWIN functions during the filling stage of seed development. In this study, we found significant lower levels of CWIN protein and activity associated with seed abortion in the  Litchi chinensis  cultivar “Nuomici.” We identified five litchi  CWIN  genes and observed that the expression of  LcCWIN5  was limited to the flower tissues and decreased sharply with fruit development. Silencing of  LcCWIN5  expression before 28 DAA (cell division stage) resulted in perturbed liquid endosperm development, smaller seeds, and higher seed abortion rate, while silencing after 28 DAA (filling stage) had no effect on seed development. In contrast,  LcCWIN2  was mostly expressed in the funicle and seed coat, and increased with fruit development. Decreased  LcCWIN2  expression and CWIN activity during early seed filling coincided with smaller seeds in the cultivar “Feizixiao.” Silencing of  LcCWIN2  caused a reduction in the seed size without inducing seed abortion. We propose that CWIN activity in seed maternal tissues during cell division stage is likely due to  LcCWIN5  expression, which regulates early seed development. On the other hand, CWIN activity during the filling stage is due to the expression of  LcCWIN2 , which may promote carbon import by creating a sucrose gradient. Comparable  LcCWIN5  expression, but much lower CWIN activity, detected in the funicle of “Nuomici” is consistent with post-translational regulation.

Aberrant seed development in Litchi chinensis is associated with the impaired expression of cell wall invertase genes