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Global exploration of nanoparticles as nano-fertilizers/nano-fungicides to optimize crop production has attracted greater attention. Among metal oxide nano-formulations, the increasing application and discharge of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) into the environment requires urgent attention due to their toxic and stimulatory impact on plants, including vegetables. This study aimed at the bio-fabrication of CuO-NPs from Rosa indica petal extracts and to assess their nanotoxicity on germination and biological and biochemical growth of tomato plants. The morphological characterization of phytofabricated CuO-NPs by microscopic (SEM/TEM) and spectroscopic (XRD/FTIR) techniques revealed its nanostructure, spherical shape ranging in size between 23 and 47 nm exhibiting different functional groups. Furthermore, tomato-CuO-NPs interactions resulted in reduced germination percentage and plant biomass. At the biochemical level, the chlorophyll content decreased consistently, while malonaldehyde and proline content in tomato foliage enhanced substantially with increasing concentrations of CuO-NPs. Size, lycopene content (71 % reduction), and fruit quality (metabolites like sugars, amino acids, and organic acids) assessed by 1H NMR declined after CuO-NPs exposure in a dose-dependent manner. Further in situ experiments revealed deformation in a stomatal aperture in leaves and accumulation of CuO-NPs in roots, suggesting toxicity under SEM. In summation, this study highlights the toxicity of biosynthesized CuO-NPs to tomato plants paving the way to develop novel strategies to mitigate its toxicity to vegetable crops, particularly tomato under real field conditions. [Display omitted] • Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) exhibit toxic and stimulatory effects on plants. • Biogenic synthesized CuO-NPs from Rosa indica petal extract shows phytotoxicity to tomato plants. • Exposure to CuO-NPs reduces germination percentage, plant biomass, and fruit quality. • Metal oxide nanoparticles increase malondialdehyde and proline content after CuO-NPs exposure. • Strategies need to be developed to counteract nano-CuO toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are natural compounds that act as antioxidants and pigments and are produced by plants in response to stress and various environmental conditions. Anthocyanin-rich diets protect against many chronic diseases, a wide range of tumors, and inflammatory diseases. The common tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) can synthetize anthocyanins only in the green parts of the plant, but not in the fruit. Recent studies have shown that through genetic engineering and breeding it is possible to re-establish the synthesis of anthocyanins in the fruit. The first purple genetically modified tomatoes were first approved for sale in the USA in 2022. Tomato breeding has led to the development of non-genetically modified (GMO) purple tomatoes by exploiting wild relatives of S. lycopersicum. They contain anthocyanins in the fruit epicarp and have a higher antioxidant power than red tomatoes. They represent a novel nutraceutical food and can be sold in the EU. Over the past decade, progress has been made in the characterization of anthocyanin synthesis in fruits of plants belonging to the tomato clade. The genomic elements underlying the activation of the process were identified, providing the basis for understanding how the pathway works in these species. In this review we explore the genetic mechanisms that have been characterized to date, and detail the various wild relatives of the tomato, which have been crucial for recovering ancestral traits that were probably lost during evolution from green-purple to yellow and red tomatoes. This knowledge should help developing strategies to further enhance the status of the commercial tomato lines on sale, based on both genome editing and breeding techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-Knot nematodes (RKNs) are one of the major plant pathogens that can substantially reduce plant growth and development. Management of RKNs is one of the major concerns as chemical pesticides pose a potential risk to humans and other life forms and also have toxic effects to environment. There is a need to find out some alternative eco-friendly strategies for management of these parasites. Jasmonic acid (JA) and Spermine (Spm) are those plant growth regulators (PGRs) that have positive effects on plant growth and alleviates toxic effects caused by various stresses including RKNs. Keeping this in mind,present study accessed the potential of these (PGRs), JA and Spm on morphological and biochemical attributes in 45 days old Solanum lycopersicum plants under nematode stress. It was observed that nematode infection resulted in reduced plant growth and photosynthetic pigments. Application of JA and Spm improved growth parameters and photosynthetic pigments. Moreover, tomato plants after JA and Spm supplementation lowered the activities of H 2 O 2, DPPH and MDA thus decreasing nuclear and membrane damage caused by nematode stress. Additionally, enzymatic CAT (Catalase), SOD (Superoxide dismutase), GuPOX (Guaiacol peroxidase), APOX (Ascorbate peroxidase), PPO (Polyphenol oxidase), GST (Glutathione-S-transferase) and non-enzymatic (ascorbic acid, glutathione, and tocopherol) antioxidant levels increased markedly under nematode stress, but application of JA and Spm further improved these attributes. Taken together, the current study demonstrated that JA and Spm are suitable agents for managing nematode stress resistance in tomato plants. [Display omitted] • Tomato plants were inoculated with J2 stage of Meloidogyne incognita. • M.incognita decreased photosynthetic pigments and enhanced stress marker in tomato plants. • Treatment with Jasmonic acid and spermine mitigated nematode stress by enhancing Antioxidant enzymes and gases exchange parameters in tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress reduces plant growth and reproduction and increases agricultural risks. As a natural compound, melatonin modulates broad aspects of the responses of plants to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, regulation of the photosynthetic electron transfer, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and the redox state of redox-sensitive proteins in the tolerance to heat stress induced by melatonin remain largely unknown. The oxygen evolution complex activity on the electron-donating side of photosystem II (PSII) is inhibited, and the electron transfer process from QA to QB on the electron-accepting side of PSII is inhibited. In this case, heat stress decreased the chlorophyll content, carbon assimilation rate, PSII activity, and the proportion of light absorbed by tomato seedlings during electron transfer. The ROS burst led to the breakdown of the PSII core protein. However, exogenous melatonin increased the net photosynthetic rate by 11.3% compared with heat stress, substantially reducing the restriction of photosynthetic systems induced by heat stress. Additionally, melatonin reduces the oxidative damage to PSII by balancing electron transfer on the donor, reactive center, and acceptor sides. Melatonin was used under heat stress to increase the activity of the antioxidant enzyme and preserve ROS equilibrium. In addition, redox proteomics also showed that melatonin controls the redox levels of proteins involved in photosynthesis, and stress and defense processes, which enhances the expression of oxidative genes. In conclusion, melatonin via controlling the photosynthetic electron transport and antioxidant, melatonin increased tomato heat stress tolerance and aided plant growth. • MT alleviated the oxidative damage of PSII by balancing the electron transfer of the donor side, reaction center, and receptor side. • MT inhibited ROS accumulation by promoting the key enzyme activities of AsA-GSH cycle, and modulating redox state of redox-sensitive proteins. • MT regulates the redox proteins of heat resistant signaling pathway and increases the expression of oxidative genes in downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Commercial rootstocks tested were susceptible to salinity. • The accessions RVTC 66 and PI 127,826 and their hybrid were susceptible to salinity. • The commercial rootstocks Guardião, Muralha, protetor were susceptible to salinity. • LA 716 and their hybrids were rootstocks resistant to salinity. • F 1 (RVTC 66 × LA 716) hybrid was the most promising rootstock for giuliana cultivar. The grafting on tomatoes with salinity-resistant rootstocks is an alternative practice for saline soil fields that has been proven efficient. The use of grafting on tomato plants with salinity-resistant rootstock enhances growth and fruit production in saline conditions. However, in South America, there are a few studies aimed to investigate grafting within saline conditions. Additionally, it is necessary to explore the variability of tomatoes to identify promising rootstocks. The commercial cultivar Giuliana was used as a vegetative material, that is being grafted in ten rootstocks: commercial cultivars Guardião, Muralha, Protetor, and Magnet, accessions RVTC 66 (S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme), LA 716 (S. pennellii) and PI 127,826 (S. habrochaites var. hirsutum) and, interspecific F 1 hybrids RVTC 66 × LA 716, RVTC 66 × PI 127,826 and LA 716 × PI 127,826. Giuliana was also self-grafted (control treatment). The plants were submitted to study two treatments: without NaCl during fertigation (EC: 1.01 dS m−1 and 1.75 dS m−1) and in the presence of NaCl (EC of 3.5 and 7.0 dS m−1) for vegetative development and reproductive periods, respectively. The growth, physiological, productive, and post-harvest parameters were evaluated. The rootstocks Guardião, Muralha, Protetor, Magnet, RVTC 66, PI 127,826, and F 1 (RVTC 66 × PI 127,826) were susceptible to salinity. In contrast, the use of LA 716 accession and its F 1 (RVTC 66 × LA 716) and F 1 (LA 716 × PI 127,826) hybrids tolerated salinity. However, it is recommended to use the F 1 (RVTC 66 × LA 716) hybrid with a higher productive performance than the other rootstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FBNs are lipid-associated proteins that play a critical role in plant growth and stress response. However, the mechanisms of how FBNs proteins participate in the low night temperature response in tomato still unclear. Here we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the FBN gene family in Solanum lycopersicum. In total, 14 SlFBN genes were identified, and information on their gene structures, protein motifs, phylogenetic relationships, and stress-related cis-regulatory elements (CREs) was provided. Among these, SlFBN11 was selected as a promising candidate for further functional characterization. The silencing of SlFBN11 destroys the redox balance of the PSI reaction center under low night temperature (LNT) stress, which led to increased ROS accumulation. Surprisingly, we found that the silencing of SlFNR2 also displayed an imbalance in electron transport of the PSI under LNT stress. Further experiments showed SlFBN11 can interact with SlFNR2 to positively response electron transport low night temperature. Collectively, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of the FBN genes family in Solanum lycopersicum and provides a theoretical basis for our understanding of the function of FBN genes in adaptation to LNT stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are often found in coastal areas and tropical wetlands that can withstand high salinity. We hypothesized that endophytes that are harbouring in the roots of mangrove plants may improve the innate immunity of host plants to survive naturally in saline environment. Retrieving these endophytes and sequential characterization may function as a novel bio-effector for non-host food crops as well. We focused on the integrated approach towards formulating a novel bacterial consortium. Thirty-one bacterial endophytes isolated from the roots of mangrove plants were screened for plant growth promoting potential by inoculating our model crop (Tomato). Seven most promising isolates impacting plant growth were identified. In-vitro plant growth promoting characters were also analysed. The root colonization by the isolates was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Among the screened isolates, four of them were found to be compatible with each other when grown together and were selected to formulate a novel biostimulant consortia. The consortia treated Tomato plants exhibited superior phenological characters. In the pot experiment, plant height of the treated plants was about ≈43 cm while the non-treated plants under salt stress could grow only up to a height of ≈26 cm. Similarly, a total fruit yield of ≈6.8 kg was observed in case of treated plants under salt stress whereas the non-treated plants under salt stress could only produce ≈4.7 kg of fruit. This study demonstrated that the beneficial bacteria inhabiting in mangrove roots can increase the potential of conferring salt tolerance to non-host crops, thereby contributing to sustainable agriculture. • Retrieval of root endophytic bacterial strains from Sundarban's Mangroves. • Assessment of plant growth promoting traits for formulating consortia. • Seed biopriming in non-host model crop (Tomato). • Quantification of plant morpho-physico parameters by in-vitro pot experiment. • Validation of open-field stability and fruit yield under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought poses a significant challenge by inducing water stress in crops, urgently calling for effective monitoring and early intervention. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive 38-day investigation of the bioimpedance of water stressed tomato stems under controlled environmental conditions. A total of 8000 measurements were meticulously collected across a frequency spectrum spanning from 100 Hz to 10 MHz. The collected data was categorized into control, early stress, and late stress groups, corresponding to distinct phases of water stress treatment. To analyze the data, we employed established equivalent circuit models, including Cole, Randles, and double Cole. Subsequently, we evaluated the performance of eight machine learning algorithms widely-used in predicting the water stress stages of the plants. Remarkably, the Cole model, in conjunction with a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) algorithm, demonstrated robust performance, achieving an impressive F1 score of 0.89. In fact, in the control group, 378 out of 388 instances were accurately identified. However, misclassifications were observed in the early and late stress groups, with 31 out of 179 and 14 out of 208 instances mislabeled, respectively. Furthermore, we scrutinized the Cole model's circuit parameters over time, providing insights aligned with the plant physiological behavior documented in the literature. Our findings suggest that MLP models trained on stem bioimpedance data hold promise as a valuable technique for estimating water stress in tomato plants, offering an essential tool for proactive management by farmers. • 38-day bioimpedance analysis of tomato stems at 100 Hz to 10 MHz under water stress. • Equivalent circuit data coupled with ML algorithms classify water stress accurately. • Bioimpedance effectively detects early water stress in tomato stems. • MLP model achieved 97.4% accuracy correctly identifying control and stress instances. • Cole model parameters reveal circadian patterns and stress responses in tomato plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of viable pollen is a determinant of male fertility and plays an essential role in the reproductive process of angiosperms. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades modulate diverse aspects of plant growth, but their involvement in post-meiotic pollen development is unclear. In this study, SlMKK4 was identified as a crucial regulator in overseeing pollen development in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Utilizing CRISPR-associated protein 9 to disrupt SlMKK4 resulted in an obvious decrease in pollen viability. The results of cell biology and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that SlMKK4 specifically regulates auxin and sugar metabolism as well as signal transduction during post-meiotic pollen development. This is supported by the finding that protein–protein interaction assays and in vitro phosphorylation assays indicate that SlMKK4 serves as the upstream MAPKK for SlMPK20, which exhibits a distinct function in regulating the uninucleate (UN) to binucleate (BN) transition during microgametogenesis in tomatoes. Moreover, pollen from transgenic plants experienced significant arrest predominantly at the BN stage, accompanied by subcellular abnormalities manifesting during the late UN microspore phase. Furthermore, transcriptomic analyses indicated that SlMKK4 knockout remarkably downregulated the expression of numerous genes regulating auxin and sugar metabolism as well as signal transduction in anthers. Therefore, our findings suggest that SlMKK4 may serve as one of the upstream SlMAPKKs of SlMPK20 and also play a pivotal role in modulating post-meiotic pollen development in tomato plants. • The tomato SlMKK4 protein interacts with the SlMPK20 protein. • The knockout of SlMKK4 using CRISPR-Cas9 resulted in defective pollen development. • Knockout of SlMKK4 inhibits pollen development from uninucleate to binucleate stages. • SlMKK4 positively regulates anther sugar and auxin metabolism, as well as signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The biofungicide based on Bacillus subtilis preserves the quality of post-haverst tomatoes. • Bacillus subtilis enhances the antioxidant system of tomato fruits, reducing membrane damage and preserving tissue integrity. • Bacillus subtilis maintains levels of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and fruit firmness, maintaining overall quality in tomatoes. • Pre-treating tomato fruits with Bacillus subtilis is a viable alternative to reduce post-harvest losses. Tomatoes are widely consumed globally, however their high perishability demands secure storage methods to mitigate post-harvest losses. This research aimed to investigate the impact of a Bacillus subtilis QST 713-based biofungicide on the post-harvest characteristics of tomatoes during storage. The experimental design adopted was a randomized block, with 4 blocks, using split-plot arrangements. The main plots involved three doses of the B. subtilis- based biofungicide (0, 4, and 6 L ha-1) applied pre-harvest, and the subplots corresponded to fruit storage time (0, 4, 8, and 12 days). The pre-harvest application of B. subtilis effectively modulated the activity of enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenoloxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, with increases of up to 52 %, 75 %, 120 %, 260 %, and 93 %, respectively, compared with the control, in fruits under application of 6 L ha-1 of the tested biofungicide. Additionally, it reduced membrane damage by up to 31 % and lowered the activity of pectinolytic enzymes by up to 27 %. Consequently, it maintained phenolic compound levels, increased antioxidant capacity by up to 69 %, and fruit firmness by 21 %, preserving qualitative at-tributes and mitigating post-harvest deterioration. Therefore, the pre-harvest application of B. subtilis at a dose of 6 L ha-1 minimizes the natural senescence process, extending the shelf life of tomatoes during storage. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exogenous HSVd targeting ds-sRNAs can penetrate into all types of organs, tissues, and cells of tomato plants. • By screening the types of ds-sRNA and exogenously processing duration, the optimal treatment for inhibiting HSVd by ds-sRNA in diseased tomato shoot terminal was obtained. • Combined with central conservation region-targeting sRNA application, shoot tip cryotherapy achieved 6.7 %–10.0 % of HSVd-elimination rate. The development of viroid elimination technology is essential in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. Combining long-term cold therapy and meristem culture is commonly used; however, tomatoes cannot withstand cold. How the Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) affects the growth potential, activities of oxidoreductases and the contents of soluble matters and total chlorophyll was studied. HSVd-targeting double-stranded small RNAs (ds-sRNAs) were synthesized to match different regions of its genome (ds-sRNAs-H1∼H5), and their permeability in plants with HSVd inhibition effects was tested. The HSVd infected tomato shoots were exogenously treated with ds-sRNAs, and the meristems were thereafter taking from treated shoots and processed using leaf primordia-free meristem culture and cryotherapy. HSVd inhibited tomato stem elongation, leaf growth and root development, it elevated the oxidoreductase activity and disturbed the contents of soluble protein, soluble sugar and chlorophyll content. Exogenous ds-sRNAs can penetrate all types of cells to induce HSVd gene silencing in shoot terminals, causing the accumulation of miRNAs produced by HSVd and differed expression of gene silencing-related genes. The shoot terminal ex vivo treated with ds-sRNA which targeting the central conserved region of HSVd genome (H3) gained the highest inhibition of HSVd titer after 36 h of feeding. Leaf primordia-free meristem culture couldn't obtain viroid-free regenerants from ds-RNA-H3 treated meristems, whereas in cryotherapy, meristems soaked in PVS2 for 15 and 20 min resulted viroid elimination of 6.7 % and 10.0 %, 5 and 10 min of PVS2 caused 0 % HSVd elimination. Growth and physiological state of HSVd-eliminated plants recovered to those of healthy controls. The results provide theoretical and technical basis for the sustainable development of the tomato pathogen-free plant industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A resistant variety against P. aegyptiaca was identified from 118 tomato varieties. • Resistant tomato 'H1015' manifested slower growth and a lower number of P. aegyptiaca. • 193 LRR-RLK genes were identified in the tomato genome. • Ten LRR-RLK proteins showed different expression patterns between 'H1015' and 'H2401'. • LRR-RLK-3 positive regulated tomato resistance against P. aegyptiaca. Phelipanche aegyptiaca is a devastating parasitic plant that causes substantial yield losses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) due to a lack of effective control strategies. Breeding for resistance is the most promising measure for reducing P. aegyptiaca infestation. Identifying novel resistance resources and mining the resistance genes/proteins are of great interest and can help hosts achieve durable resistance. In this study, field, pot, and rhizotron experiments were conducted to assess 118 tomato varieties against P. aegyptiaca. Further proteomic research, genome-wide analysis, and genetic engineering were performed to determine the LRR-RLK genes that control tomato resistance to P. aegyptiaca. A resistant variety ('H1015') was identified from 118 tomato varieties, which manifested slower growth, partial necrosis, and a lower parasitic number compared to the susceptible variety ('H2401'). Furthermore, 193 LRR-RLK s in tomato were discovered and classed into 21 groups. Among these, the expression of 10 LRR-RLK proteins was significantly different between 'H1015' and 'H2401' using proteomic data, implying that LRR-RLK s may play a pivotal function in tomato resistance to P. aegyptiaca. This finding was further confirmed by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and overexpression, through which silencing of LRR-RLK-3 compromised tomato resistance to P. aegyptiaca , while overexpression of LRR-RLK-3 enhanced resistance in Arabidopsis. These results consistently support the view that LRR-RLK-3 acts as a positive regulator to improve tomato resistance against P. aegyptiaca. Our research contributes to understanding the resistance mechanisms of hosts against parasitic plants and facilitates the breeding and application of resistant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite intense research towards the understanding of abiotic stress adaptation in tomato, the physiological adjustments and transcriptome modulation induced by combined salt and low nitrate (low N) conditions remain largely unknown. Here, three traditional tomato genotypes were grown under long-term single and combined stresses throughout a complete growth cycle. Physiological, molecular, and growth measurements showed extensive morphophysiological modifications under combined stress compared to the control, and single stress conditions, resulting in the highest penalty in yield and fruit size. The mRNA sequencing performed on both roots and leaves of genotype TRPO0040 indicated that the transcriptomic signature in leaves under combined stress conditions largely overlapped that of the low N treatment, whereas root transcriptomes were highly sensitive to salt stress. Differentially expressed genes were functionally interpreted using GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, which confirmed the stress and the tissue-specific changes. We also disclosed a set of genes underlying the specific response to combined conditions, including ribosome components and nitrate transporters, in leaves, and several genes involved in transport and response to stress in roots. Altogether, our results provide a comprehensive understanding of above- and below-ground physiological and molecular responses of tomato to salt stress and low N treatment, alone or in combination. • Salt and low N stresses had additive effects on the yield of combined stress-treated tomato. • Leaf transcriptomic responses to combined stress mirrored those elicited by low N. • Ribosome-related GO categories were uniquely affected in leaves by combined stress. • Root transcriptomic responses to combined stress largely overlapped salt stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoids play a pivotal role in plant. Tagetes erecta , commonly called marigold, has increasing nutritional and economic value due to its high level of carotenoids in flower. However, the functional genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis of T. erecta have not been studied. In this work, three T. erecta varieties with flowers of yellow, yellow-orange and orange color, respectively, were examined for carotenoids composition and corresponding expression profiling of biosynthetic genes at four developmental stages. The results indicated that the varieties with higher lutein content, orange-flower 'Juwang' and yellow-orange 'Taishan', exhibited significant upregulation of genes in the upstream biosynthesis pathway, especially PDS (phytoene desaturase), PSY (phytoene synthase) and ZDS (zeta-carotene desaturase), whereas downstream carotenoid cleavage genes CCD (carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase) were markedly downregulated throughout flower development in the highest lutein containing variety 'Juwang'. Furthermore, marigold TePDS , TePSYS3 and TeZDS were isolated and transformed into tomato. Overexpression of TePDS or TeZDS resulted in the promotion of fruit ripening and accumulation of carotenoids in the transgenic lines. On the other hand, marigold TePSYS3 showed multiple effects, not only on fruit carotenogenesis but also on pigmentation patterns in vegetative tissues and plant growth. Taken together, the variations in expression profiles of the biosynthetic genes contribute to dynamic change in carotenoid levels and diversity of flower coloration in T. erecta. These functional genes of T. erecta were verified in tomato and provide targets for genetic improvement of fruit carotenoids accumulation. • Carotenoids composition indicate carotenogenesis variances among different color flowers of T. erecta. • Differentially expressed TePSYs , TePDS TeZDS and TeCCDs contribute to carotenoids accumulation in T. erecta. • TePDS and TeZDS improve fruit ripening and carotenoids accumulation in tomato. • TePSY3 effects pigmentation pattern in fruit and vegetative tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endogenous spermidine can improve the resistance of plants to saline-alkali stress. SlSPDS1 and SlSPDS2 are the main spermidine synthase (SPDS) genes in tomatoes. In comparison with SlSPDS1 , SlSPDS2 plays an important role in wild-type tomato seedling under saline-alkali stress. However, limited research has focused on the role of SlSPDS2 in saline-alkali stress. Wild-type (WT) and SPDS gene (SlSPDS2) transgenic over-expression tomato seedlings were used to explore the function of endogenous spermidine on the saline-alkali resistance of tomato seedlings. The results show that SlSPDS2 overexpression under normal conditions and saline-alkali stress increased the content of endogenous free polyamines and the expression levels of polyamine synthesis-related genes in tomato seedlings. Under saline-alkali stress, SlSPDS2 overexpression significantly reduced Na+/K+ ratio, relative electrical conductivity, O 2 ·−, H 2 O 2 , and malondialdehyde content, increased Seedling index, relative water content, antioxidant enzyme activities (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase), and the contents of proline and soluble sugar in tomato leaf, and mitigated the adverse effect of saline-alkali stress on tomato seedlings. In summary, the overexpression of SlSPDS2 tomato seedlings regulated the ionic homeostasis, antioxidant enzyme system, and osmotic regulatory substances of tomato seedlings living in saline-alkali environment by increasing endogenous free polyamine content, thereby improving the resistance of tomato seedlings against saline-alkali stress. • Under saline-alkali stress, the overexpression of the SlSPDS2 gene of tomato seedlings increased the transcription level of polyamine-synthesis-related genes, produced more free polyamines. • Under saline-alkali stress, SlSPDS2 overexpression significantly increased peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in tomato leaves, reduced the content of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions, and improved the stress resistance of tomato seedlings. • Under saline-alkali stress, SlSPDS2 overexpression significantly reduced the Na+/K+ ratio of aboveground and underground parts of tomato seedlings, regulated the ion homeostasis of tomato seedlings, and improved the saline-alkali resistance of tomato seedlings. • Under saline-alkali stress, SlSPDS2 overexpression significantly increased seedling index, relative water content and the contents of proline and soluble sugar in tomato leaf, regulated osmotic regulatory substances of tomato seedlings living in saline-alkali environment, mitigated the adverse effect of saline-alkali stress on tomato seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen formation and development during the life cycle of flowering plant are crucial for maintaining reproductive and genetic diversity. In this study, an R2R3MYB family transcription factor, SlTDF1 (SlMYB35), was predominantly expressed in stamens. Repressed expression of SlTDF1 results in a delay in the degradation of the anther tapetum in tomatoes, which in turn leads to the formation of abnormal pollen, including a reduction in the number of single-fruit seeds and fertility when compared to wild-type plants. Analysis of paraffin sections demonstrated that SlTDF1 is a crucial factor in the maturation of tomato pollen. Further analysis of the transcriptomic data revealed that downregulation of the SlTDF1 gene significantly suppressed the expression of genes related to sugar metabolism and anther development. The findings of this study indicated that SlTDF1 plays a pivotal role in regulating tomato pollen development. Moreover, these findings provide a genetic resource for male sterility in tomato plants. • The SlTDF1 protein contains a conserved SANT structural domain localized to the nucleus. • SlTDF1 gene is strongly expressed in tomato stamens. • SlTDF1 gene regulates the development of tapetum. • SlTDF1 gene regulates the expression of some glucose metabolism-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature storage is widely used to extend the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables, but it often induces chilling injury, leading to quality loss and consumer dissatisfaction. While numerous studies have explored the molecular mechanisms of cold response in fruit, primarily focusing on long-term cold treatments, the early signaling events of cold response in harvested fruit remain largely unknown. In this study, we constructed mass spectral libraries of the proteome (over 11,000 proteins) and phosphoproteome (over 24,000 high-confidence phosphosites) from tomato fruit. We performed data-independent acquisition (DIA)-based comprehensive proteome and phosphoproteome profiling of tomato fruit at the red-ripe stage following a 30-minute cold treatment. Approximately ten percent of the quantified phosphopeptides were significantly altered, with no observed changes in protein abundance. Functional enrichment analysis of cold-regulated phosphoproteins suggests involvement in diverse cold-responsive biological processes and pathways, distinct from those reported in long-term cold-stress phosphoproteomes, including plant-pathogen interaction and the MAPK signaling pathway. We identified many regulators of fruit development and ripening that respond to cold shock at the protein phosphorylation level, such as ethylene-associated ripening regulators (EIN2, TPR1, FERL, E8, REM1), phytohormone-related proteins (BZR1/BES1, PIN4, ARF8a, LoxB), the flavor volatile-controlling lipoxygenase LoxC, and key transcription factors (CNR, WRKY35). This suggests extensive crosstalk between ripening and cold signal transduction. Additionally, we identified 109 kinases, 40 E3 ubiquitin ligases, and 39 transcription factors as cold-stimulus responsive phosphoproteins. Our study constructs the most extensive mass spectral libraries of tomato fruit (phospho)proteins to date and provides a detailed landscape of rapid and extensive cold-responsive phosphorylation events in tomato fruit. • Extensive libraries of tomato fruit proteome and phosphoproteome were constructed. • Cold stimuli significantly alter the phosphoproteome in tomato fruit. • Rapid cold response of ripening regulators at the phosphorylation levels in fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tomato endogenous H 2 S-generation-associated enzymes were identified and analyzed. • H 2 S generation changed dynamically in developmental and environmental signals. • Dynamic changes of transcripts and activities of H 2 S-generation-associated enzymes. • Several sources of endogenous H 2 S had diverse response patterns in various signals. • Regulatory of H 2 S generation involved crosstalk with phytohormones signals. Increasing studies have confirmed the functions of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) as a gas signal molecule (gasotransmitter) in a variety of physiological activities in plants. However, the dynamic changes of endogenous H 2 S generation, especially the response speed and degree of H 2 S-generation-associated members, to both developmental and environmental cues in Solanum lycopersicum L. are still poorly understood. Here, we identified and charactered the H 2 S-generation-associated enzymes in tomato, including O-acetylserine (mercaptan) lyases (OAS-TL), L/D-Cysteine desulfhydrases (L/D-CDes) and nitrogen fixation S (NIFS)-like enzymes, possessing LCD-like activity. Analysis of cis -regulatory elements (CREs) showed that the promoter regions of these H 2 S-generation-associated genes contained lots of light-, hormone- and stresses-responsive CREs, and transcriptional factors (TFs) binding sites, suggesting that the regulatory mechanism of endogenous H 2 S generation might involve TFs mediated transcriptional regulation or/and interacting with phytohormones signals. Levels of endogenous H 2 S exhibited diversity in different organs and developmental stages in tomato, and the top and second highest level of H 2 S in flowers and ripened fruits hinted the significance of H 2 S signal in tomato reproduction and fruit development. Furthermore, the expression of SlOAS4, SlLCD, SlDCD2, SlNFS1 , and SlNFS2 enhanced continuously during fruit ripening, and the SlOAS4 expression exhibited the most significant up-regulation. The SlDCD enzymatic activity responded more quickly to fruit development cues, while the SlLCD remained at a higher level almost throughout the whole fruit ripening. During environmental stimulus, it was found that the transcriptions of SlDCD2 and SlOAS2 responded faster and stronger to heat stress, while SlOAS4 and SlLCD were activated more quickly and significantly by drought stress. Both SlLCD and SlDCD enzymatic activities could be enhanced by drought and heat stress to varying degrees, and it seemed that the SlLCD was activated to a greater extent and remained at the higher activity for a longer period. With the extension of exogenous phytohormones (ABA, SA, GA, JA, ACC, NAA) treatment, the SlLCD activity and the endogenous H 2 S content increased in a specific time-dependent manner, and ABA, SA and NAA had more rapid effects on SlLCD activity. By widely explored the dynamic responses of endogenous H 2 S generation, our study would provide some references for understanding the regulatory mechanism upstream of H 2 S signaling in tomato growth developments and environmental adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed germination is a critical phase for the life cycle and propagation of higher plants. This study explores the role of SlWRKY37, a WRKY transcription factor in tomato, in modulating seed germination. We discovered that SlWRKY37 expression is markedly downregulated during tomato seed germination. Through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing, we demonstrate that SlWRKY37 knockout enhances germination, while its overexpression results in a delay compared to the wild type. Transcriptome analysis revealed 679 up-regulated and 627 down-regulated genes in Slwrky37 -CRISPR deletion mutants relative to the wild type. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated these differentially expressed genes are linked to seed dormancy, abscisic acid homeostasis, and protein phosphorylation pathways. Bioinformatics and biochemical assays identified SlABI5-like7 and SlLEA2 as key transcriptional targets of SlWRKY37, integral to tomato seed dormancy regulation. Additionally, SlWRKY37 was found to be post-translationally phosphorylated at Ser65, a modification crucial for its transcriptional activation. Our findings elucidate the regulatory role of SlWRKY37 in seed dormancy, suggesting its potential as a target for gene editing to reduce seed dormancy in tomato breeding programs. • SlWRKY37 functions as a negative regulator in tomato seed germination. • As An upstream regulator, SlWRKY37 activates SlABI5-like7 and SlLEA2 expression. • SlWRKY37's phosphorylation is essential for its transcriptional activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is a serious challenge for global food production. Nanofertilizers and nanocomposites cope with such environmental stresses and also increase nutritional contents of fruits. An in vitro experiment was designed to use Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) primed with Proline and Betaine (ZnOP and ZnOBt NPs) at 50 and 100 mg/kg soil against drought stress in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Plant morphological, biochemical, and fruit nutritional quality were accessed. Maximum plant height was observed under the treatment of ZnOP50 (1.09 m) and ZnO 100 (1.06 m). ZnOP and ZnOBt also improved the chlorophyll content up to 86% and 87.16%, respectively. Application of ZnOP NPs also demonstrated maximum tomato yield (204 g tomato/plant) followed by ZnO NPs and ZnOBt NPs. Nanocomposites decreased phenolics and flavonoids contents in drought stressed plants demonstrating the mitigation of oxidative stress. Nanofertilizer also increased the concentration of phenolics and flavonoids in fruits that increased the nutritional contents. Furthermore a significant accumulation of betaine, proline, and lycopene in fruits on nanocomposite treatment made it nutritional and healthy. Lycopene content increased up to 2.01% and 1.23% in presence of ZnOP50 and ZnOP100, respectively. These outcomes validate that drought stress in plant can be reduced by accumulation of different phytochemicals and quenching oxidative stress. The study deems that nano zinc carrying osmoregulators can greatly reduce the negative effects of drought stress and increase nutritional quality of tomato fruits. [Display omitted] • Zinc Oxide NPs primed with Proline and Betaine (ZnOP and ZnOBt NPs) mitigates. • Plant morphological, biochemical characteristics are studied. • Nanofertilizer increased nutritional contents of fruits. • Nanocomposite can be used against environmental stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The agricultural hydrogel alters the physical-water and fertility of the soil. • Fertilization recommendations do not take into account the use of soil conditioners. • Culture development is accelerated when using hydrogel. • Fertigated tomato cultivation in sandy soil containing hydrogel. The objective was to evaluate how the interaction between hydrogel concentrations and fertirrigation recommendations influences soil physical and chemical properties and, consequently, growth rate and yield of 'BRS Zamir F1′ cherry tomato. The experiment was carried out in Teresina, Piaui state, Brazil, and consisted of 12 treatments (4 × 3 factorial) arranged in randomized blocks with four replications: four levels of hydrogel (0, 1, 2, and 3 g dm−3) incorporated to soil, and three levels of fertirrigation (80, 100, and 120 % of fertilizer recommendation). Soil physical and chemical properties, plant growth, fruit yield, biometric and qualitative traits of fruits were evaluated. Soil moisture at field capacity increased by 21.39 % at 3 g dm−3 hydrogel concentration compared to soil without hydrogel. Soil aeration peaked at 1.80 g dm−3 at a hydrogel concentration of 3 g dm−3, representing an increase of 16.78 %. Soil density was 1.24 g cm−3 at hydrogel concentration of 3 g dm−3. Soil P content reached 1.76 mg dm−3 at hydrogel concentration of 3 g dm−3. K, Ca, and Na contents in soil were 0.70 cmol c dm−3, 4.10 cmol c dm−3 and 0.49 cmol c dm−3 at 1.92, 3.0, and 1.56 g dm−3 of hydrogel, respectively. We conclude that the improvement in the soil's physical and water-holding characteristics due to hydrogel application resulted in faster growth of 'BRS Zamir F1′ cherry tomato. Hydrogel application allows for the reduction in fertirrigation recommendation by 20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Deficit irrigation (DI:50 %) increased tomato yield against full irrigation (FI:100 %) practices in open-field. • Tomatoes withstand deficit irrigation, suitable for mild drought conditions. • Deficit drip irrigation improved water use efficiency without yield loss. • Total soluble solids can serve as an indicator of the overall quality of tomatoes. • Nitrogen levels enhance fruit yield and weight, with varying responses between N levels. A field experiment at Qatar University's Agricultural Research Center examined how varying drip irrigation water and nitrogen levels affect tomato yield, quality, and water-use efficiency. The study employed a split-plot design in a randomized block setup, with full irrigation (FI) at 100 % and deficit irrigation (DI) at 50 % of FI as main plots, and nitrogen rates (N 1 : 50 kg ha−1, N 2 : 70 kg ha−1, N 3 : 100 kg ha−1) as subplots. Treatments were labeled as T 1 (DIN 1), T 2 (DIN 2), T 3 (DIN 3), T 4 (FIN 1), T 5 (FIN 2), and T6 (FIN 3). Results revealed significant improvements in vegetative growth, SPAD Index, yield, yield components, water use efficiency, and quality parameters with increasing nitrogen levels up to N 2 under 50 % DI. Compared to FI, DI saw a significant 1.41 % increase in shoot height (SH) and similar trends in other parameters, with enhancements ranging from 4.84 % to 27.78 %. Overall, DI exerted a more pronounced influence on tomato production than nitrogen levels. The interaction between irrigation and nitrogen treatments significantly affected all variables except dry matter and pH. The highest yield (65.14 t ha−1) occurred at T 3 , 23.92 % higher than the lowest yield at T 4 (49.56 t ha−1), followed by T 5 , T 2 , T 1 , and T 6 (64.16, 58.46, 55.66, and 55.60 t ha−1). At DI, which yielded the highest fruit yield, the highest WUE was observed at N 3 (T 3) with a value of 0.78 kg ha−1 mm−1, while the lowest WUE of 0.46 kg ha−1 mm−1 was recorded at T 4 , corresponding to the lowest yield of 49.56 t ha−1. Total soluble solids (TSS) peaked at T 2 (7.05 °Brix) and were lowest at T 6 (5.04 °Brix), while acidity showed a significant interaction with the highest level at T 2 (0.51 %) and the lowest at T 1 (0.31 %). No significant interactions were observed for DM and pH. This study underscores the importance of implementing deficit irrigation strategies, especially when paired with appropriate nitrogen levels, to boost tomato yield, quality, and water use efficiency in arid environments like Qatar. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor BBX family is associated with plant responses to abiotic stress. Among the 31 SlBBXs genes in tomato, SlBBX20 is the most strongly induced by saline-alkali stress. However, the response mechanism of the SlBBX20 transcription factor under saline-alkali stress remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of the SlBBX20 transcription factor on saline-alkali tolerance in tomato using wild-type (WT), SlBBX20 overexpression lines, SlBBX20 -silenced materials (TRV2- SlBBX20) and their controls (TRV2- empty). Under normal conditions, overexpression of SlBBX20 increased tomato photosynthetic capacity (contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids, net photosynthetic rate), leaf palisade and spongy tissue thickness, and total antioxidant capacity. In contrast, the photosynthetic capacity and total antioxidant capacity of SlBBX20 silenced material did not change significantly relative to the control. Under saline-alkali stress, overexpression of SlBBX20 significantly reduced the relative conductivity, malondialdehyde content, reactive oxygen species levels (O 2 •−, H 2 O 2), and increased the relative water content, photosynthetic capacity, total antioxidant capacity, antioxidant enzyme activities (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and proline content in tomato leaves. And silencing SlBBX20 showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, through transcriptome sequencing of WT and SlBBX20 -OE lines grown in saline-alkali stress condition at 0 h and 12 h, three differentially expressed genes related to saline-alkali stress (SlP5CR , SlHsp21.6A , SlHsp26.2) were identified. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays confirmed that SlBBX20 might bind to the G-box cis-acting elements in the promoter regions of SlP5CR , SlHsp21.6A , and SlHsp26.2 genes, exerting transcriptional regulatory functions. In conclusion, overexpression of SlBBX20 enhances saline-alkali tolerance in tomatoes by sustaining leaf photosynthetic capacity, reducing ROS accumulation, and elevating antioxidant enzyme activity and proline content. • Expression of SlBBX20 in tomato significantly was induced by saline-alkali stress. • SlBBX20 play a positive role for tomato to resistance saline-alkali stress. • SlBBX20 could preserve leaf photosynthetic capacity, reduce ROS accumulation under saline-alkali stress. • SlBBX20 could interact with the genes SlP5CR , SlHsp21.6 A , and SlHsp26.2 under saline-alkali stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BBXs are B-Box zinc finger proteins that can act as transcription factors and regulators of protein complexes. Several BBX proteins play important roles in plant development. Two Arabidopsis thaliana microProteins belonging to the BBX family, named miP1a and miP1b, homotypically interact with and modulate the activity of other BBX proteins, including CONSTANS, which transcriptionally activates the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing miP1a and miP1b showed delayed flowering. In tomato, the closest homologs of miP1a and miP1b are the microProteins Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17. This study was aimed at investigating whether the constitutive expression of Sl BBX16/17 in Arabidopsis and tomato impacted reproductive development. The heterologous expression of the two tomato microProteins in Arabidopsis caused a delay in the flowering transition; however, the effect was weaker than that observed when the native miP1a/b were overexpressed. In tomato, overexpression of SlBBX17 prolonged the flowering period; this effect was accompanied by downregulation of the flowering inhibitors Self Pruning (SP) and SP5G. Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17 can hetero-oligomerize with TCMP-2, a cystine-knot peptide involved in flowering pattern regulation and early fruit development in tomato. The increased expression of both microProteins also caused alterations in tomato fruit development: we observed in the case of SlBBX17 a decrease in the number and size of ripe fruits as compared to WT plants, while for SlBBX16 , a delay in fruit production up to the breaker stage. These effects were associated with changes in the expression of GA-responsive genes. [Display omitted] • MicroProteins interact with and regulate the activity of large protein complexes. • Tomato BBX16 and BBX17 are microProteins belonging to B-Box family. • Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17 interact with a tomato cystine-knot peptide. • Increasing expression of Sl BBX17 prolongs the flowering period. • Both Sl BBX16 and Sl BBX17 affect fruit development and GA metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) deficiency is one of the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies in plants, and has a significant impact on crop yields. In this work we aimed to develop and evaluate innovative strategies to mitigate N deficiency. We studied the effect of supplementing tomato plants grown under suboptimal N nutrition with chitosan microparticles (CS-MPs) during short- and long-term periods. We observed that the supplementation with CS-MPs prevented the reduction of aerial biomass and the elongation of lateral roots (LR) triggered by N deficiency in tomato plantlets. In addition, levels of nitrates, amino acids and chlorophyll, which decreased drastically upon N deficiency, were either partial or totally restored upon CS-MPs addition to N deficient media. Finally, we showed that CS-MPs treatments increased nitric oxide (NO) levels in root tips and caused the up-regulation of genes involved in N metabolism. Altogether, we suggest that CS-MPs enhance the growth and development of tomato plants under N deficiency through the induction of biochemical and transcriptional responses that lead to increased N metabolism. We propose treatments with CS-MPs as an efficient practice focused to mitigate the nutritional deficiencies in N impoverished soils. • Chitosan microparticles (CS-MP) promote growth of plantlets in N deficient media. • The supplementation with CS-MP buffered the phenotype of N deficient roots. • CS-MP significantly increased NO level in root tips of tomato plantlets. • CS-MP supplemented roots showed incremented NO 3 and aminoacids in N deficient media. • CS-MP modulated the expression of N metabolism genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant secondary metabolites, including essential oils (EOs), are becoming an alternative to traditional methods of controlling phytopathogens. In the present work we evaluated the antifungal activity of EOs from two populations of Aloysia polystachya on the causal agent of gray mold, Botrytis cinerea. The chemical composition of EOs showed carvone and α-thujone as the main components of each EO, determining that they were two different chemotypes. The antifungal effect of both chemotypes against B. cinerea was evaluated in their vapor phase, at different concentrations. The MIC for the carvone-rich chemotype was 71 μL L−1, while the α-thujone-rich chemotype completely inhibited growth at a concentration of 189 μL L−1. Both chemotypes significantly inhibited the germination of fungal conidia. The normal morphology of the hyphae of B. cinerea was compromised in the presence of both chemotypes, showing flattening and emptying of the content, compared to the untreated mycelium. The effect of the chemotypes on the disease caused by the fungus was also evaluated in artificially inoculated tomatoes, with the carvone-rich chemotype being more effective in reducing the characteristic symptoms. None of the chemotypes produced alterations in postharvest quality parameters. Our data allow us to propose the EO of A. polystachya with abundant content of the terpene carvone, as a natural strategy for the control of the pathogen B. cinerea. This research is important to show how the existence of variants within the same botanical species implies differences in their effectiveness as fungicides. • Same botanical species can show different composition in their essential oils (EOs). • EOs from two A. polystachya populations had carvone and thujone as main components. • Carvone-rich EO inhibited B. cinerea growth at all doses. • Both EOs inhibited conidial germination of B. cinerea. • Carvone-rich EO was more efficient in controlling B. cinerea on tomato fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested a novel combination of hydrocolloid gum arabic (GA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to extend postharvest life of tomatoes. For this purpose, tomato fruits were coated with GA 10%, CMC 0.5% and GA 10% + CMC 0.5%, and stored for 20 days at 20 °C and 90 ± 2% RH. Application of biocomposite hydrocolloid coating reduced physiological weight loss, respiration rate, ethylene production, decay percentage and stress markers viz. malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Biocomposite hydrocolloid coating inhibited change in bioactive compounds (phenolics, ascorbic acid, and lycopene), color, organic acids, soluble sugars and up-regulated enzymatic ROS scavenging mechanism in tomato fruit more than GA or CMC coating. Moreover, biocomposite coatings delayed senescence by reducing activity of cell wall degrading enzymes and maintaining cell wall fractions. Conclusively, the biocomposite coating based on GA and CMC was superior to their individual coating in prolonging ripening phase, delaying senescence and increasing the acceptability of tomato fruits for longer duration. [Display omitted] • Gum arabic or carboxymethyl cellulose extends shelf life of horticultural produces. • Their composite coating was more effective in maintaining stored tomato's quality. • The composite coating conserved antioxidative and reduced softening enzymes activity. • The composite coating improved retention of bioactive compounds. • The composite formulation prolonged the marketing period of coated tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were developed in soils with different fly ash (FA) amendments (25, 50, 75, 100% FA) to measure the effects of FA on metal accumulation, chlorophyll pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence, growth, biomass, gas exchange parameters, and the ascorbate glutathione pathway (AsA-GSH). The metal concentration was much higher in FA compared to the garden soil/(control). The observed metal translocation was higher in roots than shoots. Plants raised in soils treated with 50% or more FA showed significant decreases in growth, biomass, gas exchange parameters, protein, chlorophyll pigments, and fluorescence parameters. Additionally, a significant increase in antioxidants under higher FA-amended soils were observed. Our results showed that the ability of Solanum lycopersicum plants to effectively synchronize the actions of antioxidant enzymes associated in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging – notably superoxidase dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) – with good maintenance of the AsA/DHA ratio, that could be connected to FA stress tolerance. The toxic metals present in FA caused oxidative stress in Solanum lycopersicum , as evident from the increase in electrolyte leakage (EL), lipid peroxidation (MDA), and ROS levels. Furthermore, the AsA-GSH cycle plays a key role in alleviating oxidative damage caused by FA application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between photosynthesis, pigment accumulation, and the expression of key light-regulated genes in Solanum lycopersicum hp-1, hp-2 and hp-1. 2 photomorphogenetic mutants under conditions of high-intensity light (2000 μm (photons) m−2s−1) was studied. The hp-2 mutant (LA3006) and the hp-1 mutants (LA4012 and LA3538) are deficient in DET1 (De-etiolated 1 and DDB1 (DNA DAMAGE-BINDING PROTEIN 1), respectively, which are components of the CDD complex (COP10, DDB1, DET1). HP mutants are superproducers of various pigments and are sensitive to light. We have shown that HIL (high-intensity light) causes a decrease in PSII activity after 24 and 72 h of irradiation, which was partially restored after 72 h in the WT. The photosynthetic rate noticeably decreased only in LA4012 and LA3538 after 24 h of irradiation. After 72 h, the photosynthetic rate decreased in all mutants, with the exception of hp-1.2 LA0279, but the decrease was most noticeable in LA4012, yet significant changes in the respiration rate were absent. The LA0279 mutant was more capable of accumulating anthocyanin in the cells of the subepidermal parenchyma and chlorenchyma, as well as in the cells at the base of large multicellular glandular trichomes and in the mesophyll. Another important difference was the accumulation of increased amounts of antheraxanthin and phenolic compounds in the leaves of LA0279 after 72 h of HIL irradiation. Unlike LA4012, LA3006, LA0279, and LA3538 sowed a significant increase in the expression levels of CHS, HY5 , and FLS genes after 24 h, which may be one of the reasons for the higher adaptive potential of those three mutants. In addition to that in LA3538, strong light-induced stress led to an increased level of flavonol synthase (FLS) expression in the LA3006, LA0279, and LA4012 mutants. We hypothesize that the photosynthetic apparatus (PA) of the LA0279 mutant, which is deficient in the DET1 and DDB1 genes, is most adapted to prolonged HIL. Most likely, the resistance of PA mutants to HIL is due to a variety of factors, which, in addition to the redistribution of carotenoids, may include morphological features associated with the accumulation of anthocyanin in the epidermis, subepidermal layer, mesophyll and trichomes of leaves and with an increase in leaf thickness. [Display omitted] • Hp mutants use different adaptation strategies changing pigment composition and leaf structure. • The leaves of photomorphogenetic mutants LA3538 and LA0279 accumulate many anthocyanins in the subepidermal layer and trichomes. • The high resistance of the LA0279 mutant to the light stress is due to elevated expression of the key genes for the biosynthesis of leaf pigments and the transcription factor HY5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) have unique and tunable features with high potential in industrial use. However, the utilization of the ILs in industrial processes has recently arisen the question of their disposal and the effect on the environment. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effect of two commercial imidazolium-based ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]) and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Dmim][Cl]) on the growth and chemical composition of widely grown vegetables - tomato and cucumber. Different concentrations (10, 100 or 1000 mg L−1) of [Bmim][Cl] and [Dmim][Cl] were applied to the soil on which tomato was cultivated. After the harvest of tomato fruits, the same soil was used to grow and analyze the growth and chemical composition of cucumber. ILs significantly reduced shoot biomass and yield of tomato and significantly changed concentrations of N, K, Ca, Fe and Mn in the leaves, whereas concentrations of P, Cu and Zn were at the level of respected controls. The number of fruits of cucumber, grown on the soil previously treated with ILs, was significantly reduced along with yield, and mineral composition of leaves was significantly altered, with the exception to Cu. [Dmim][Cl] in general affected both tomato and cucumber more than [Bmim][Cl]. The application of IL with a longer alkyl substituent ([Dmim][Cl]) increased the temperature inside the tomato canopy and accelerated the senescence of plants. [Display omitted] • [Bmim][Cl] and [Dmim][Cl] affect fruit yield and mineral composition of tomato leaves. • [Dmim][Cl] accelerated wilting and senescence of tomato. • The temperature of tomato canopy increased with increasing the concentration of [Dmim][Cl]. • Prolongation of the alkyl chain on the imidazolium ring increases toxicity of ILs. • ILs-treated soil while growing tomato did affect subsequently cultivated cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) is known to cause vascular wilt on tomato almost over the world. Inoculation of FOL reduced plant growth and increased wilt of tomato. The following study examined the possible role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) consortium comprising of Rhizophagus intraradices , Funneliformis mosseae and Claroideoglomus etunicatum against FOL in tomato and explored in an inducing plant systemic defense. AMF inoculation reduced the wilt disease within vascular tissue and in vivo production of fusaric acid was observed which may be responsible in reduced wilting. FOL had an antagonistic effect on AMF colonization, reduced the number of spores, arbuscules and vesicles. AMF also inhibited the damage induced by Fusarium wilt through increasing chlorophyll contents along with the activity of phosphate metabolising enzymes (acid and alkaline phosphatases). Moreover, tomato plants with mycorrhizal inoculation showed an increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione reductase, catalase, and etc. with an ultimate influence on the elimination of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, rise in phosphatase along with antioxidant enzymatic systems and enhanced photosynthetic performance contributed to induced resistance against FOL in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ethanolic extracts of mushrooms were able to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth. • Additive antibacterial is observed by the combination of the ethanolic extracts. • Cytotoxicity for 2.5 mg/mL of the R. xerampelina extract was observed on Vero cells. • Non-significant decreases in lettuce and tomato seeds germination were observed. • Allelopathic positive index of lettuce and tomato seeds exposed to extracts. New products, including natural extracts, have been evaluated for the control of phytopathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of ethanolic extracts from mushrooms, followed by an evaluation of allelopathic effects. Characterization of phenolic acids in Russula xerampelina (Schaeff.) Fr., Crab Brittlegill. and Suillus granulatus (L.) Roussel, Weeping Bolete extracts were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography, followed by assessment of their antibacterial potential, alone and combined, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The allelopathic effects of Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) were measured in terms of germination and length parameters. The results demonstrated an additive profile of the combined extracts against P. aeruginosa. Both extracts caused a decrease in the percent germination of L. sativa and S. lycopersicum seeds at higher concentrations. Seeds were positively influenced when analyzing the allelopathic index. These results indicate the potential of these extracts for control of genus Pseudomonas phytopathogens, mainly because they do not cause phytotoxicity in terms of the evaluated parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruit. By characterizing local germplasm, exclusive breeding material is successfully identified and improved varieties could be created. The research conducted between November 2020 and 2021 at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) in Pakistan used developmental, vegetative and fruit traits to individualize sixty tomato inbred lines for 17 morphological traits. The study showed that 6 qualitative and 11 quantitative morphological traits exhibited a wide range of variation, while 8 traits showed a high coefficient of variation among genotypes according to biplot principal component analysis (PCA). According to biplot PCA, the first component contributed 17.6% of the variation, while the second component contributed 13.0%. Together, the first and second components explained 30.6% of the variation. A correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between genotypic traits and phenotypic traits. A very positive correlation was observed between inter-nodal distance, flower per cluster and immature fruit color. The morphological data for firmness, pericarp thickness, fruit width, TSS, inter-nodal distance, number of flowers and fruits per cluster showed specific characteristics that can be used to distinguish the genotypes. The highest value of lycopene of 21.2 mg kg−1 fresh weight was observed among the genotypes. We conclude the results of this study, presenting the crop quality and yield characteristics that could be used in future plant breeding and genetic enhancement of tomato germplasm for improved food security. Based on yield characteristics, Nyagous, Korneseivje and Earliana were selected as the best and most promising genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental ramifications stemming from the application of graphene-based materials have sparked significant interest in recent years. This study delved into assessing the influence of multilayer graphene, specifically focusing on the Bernal (2H) and Rhombohedral (3R) phases, on the germination process of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds. Multilayers Bernal-Rhombohedral Graphene (MBRG) were synthesized employing green chemistry principles, utilizing the ultrasonication technique operating at 40 kHz within a deionized water solution. Systematic characterization of the phases was conducted via X-ray diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, TEM, and conductivity measurements. Subsequent administration of MBRG at concentrations ranging from 10 to 500 mgL−1 on tomato seeds revealed an expedited germination process, achieving completion within 3 days. Noteworthy enhancements were observed, including a 12 % absolute increase in germination, a 3 % rise in relative root growth, and a 9 % elevation in the germination index compared to the control. Moreover, a discernible augmentation in root length was evident with escalating concentrations of MBRG, peaking at 50 mgL−1, albeit exhibiting a slight decrement at 500 mgL−1. Additionally, the antioxidant activities of root extracts were assessed across various MBRG concentrations, demonstrating no significant alterations. The outcomes posit that MBRG compositions, comprising 60.44 % (2H) and 39.55 % (3R) phases at specific concentrations, hold promise as a viable additive for expediting early seed germination, thereby presenting a potential sustainable solution in agricultural contexts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant microbial biostimulants application has become a promising and eco-friendly agricultural strategy to improve crop yields, reducing chemical inputs for more sustainable cropping systems. The soil dwelling bacterium Kocuria rhizophila was previously characterized as Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) for its multiple PGP traits, such as indole-3-acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization capability and salt and drought stress tolerance. Here, we evaluated by a multi-omics approach, the PGP activity of K. rhizophila on tomato, revealing the molecular pathways by which it promotes plant growth. Transcriptomic analysis showed several up-regulated genes mainly related to amino acid metabolism, cell wall organization, lipid and secondary metabolism, together with a modulation in the DNA methylation profile, after PGPB inoculation. In agreement, proteins involved in photosynthesis, cell division, and plant growth were highly accumulated by K. rhizophila. Furthermore, "amino acid and peptides", "monosaccharides", and "TCA" classes of metabolites resulted the most affected by PGPB treatment, as well as dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter mediating plant growth through S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), a gene enhancing the vegetative growth, up-regulated in tomato by K. rhizophila treatment. Interestingly, eight gene modules well correlated with differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) and metabolites (DAMs), among which two modules showed the highest correlation with nine proteins, including a nucleoside diphosphate kinase, and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase, as well as with several amino acids and metabolites involved in TCA cycle. Overall, our findings highlighted that sugars and amino acids, energy regulators, involved in tomato plant growth, were strongly modulated by the K. rhizophila -plant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant litter decomposition is a natural pathway of heavy metal cycling in soil ecosystems, but the dynamics of heavy metal release during litter decomposition are relatively poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of species, soil fauna and soil Cd addition on litter decomposition and Cd release dynamics. Therefore, we selected two plants, Solanum nigrum and S. lycopersicum with large differences in Cd accumulation capacity. First, they were enriched with Cd during the growing period and leaf litter was harvested after 6 months of pretreatment. Then, the decomposition of leaf litter was conducted with or without soil Cd and Eisenia fetida through lab pot tests. Our results showed that leaf litter Cd led to a significant decrease in litter decomposition rate (K value), with a maximum decrease of 32.1% in S. nigrum and 30.1% in S. lycopersicum. We observed that the presence of E. fetida significantly increased K value, but the effect was similar in the +leaf Cd treatment and the -leaf Cd treatment, both for S. nigrum and S. lycopersicum. Interestingly, the litter Cd concentration did not decrease during decomposition, but showed an increasing trend, especially for S. nigrum in the +soil Cd treatment. Moreover, the litter Cd remains was higher in the +soil Cd treatment compared to the -soil Cd treatment for both S. nigrum and S. lycopersicum , no matter whether with or without E. fetida. This result suggests that the Cd may be transferred from soil to litter, thus increasing the litter Cd remains. Overall, our study shows that leaf litter Cd slowed down the carbon cycling in ecosystems. In addition, the release of litter Cd has a lag, and the litter has a certain adsorption capacity for soil Cd, which intensifies the harm to the ecology during litter transfer. [Display omitted] • The E. fetida alleviated the inhibition effect of leaf Cd on decomposition. • Soil Cd increased the leaf litter Cd remains, which slowed down the leaf Cd release. • Leaf Cd increased lignin and cellulose content and slowed down decomposition. • The lag of leaf Cd release increases the risk of Cd pollution after litter transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A solid fraction of anaerobic digestate provided all essential nutrients to a tomato crop. • The high initial concentration of ammonium decreased rapidly and nitrate concentration increased towards the end of the cultivation. • Inoculation with active nitrification bacteria failed to increase the nitrate concentration or plant nitrogen uptake. • Macro- and micro nutrient relations in the substrate, in fruits and in the green biomass were analyzed in the beginning and in the end of the cultivation. Anaerobic digestate is a valuable resource for horticultural production, as it contains nutrients and fibers that can be used in plant growing medium. However, compared with hydroponic production based on mineral fertilizers, obtaining accurate nutrient supply at each stage of the growth cycle may be challenging. In an experiment using container-grown tomato crops, we evaluated different fertilization regimes with solid anaerobic digestate (SAD). Four different treatments were compared, two involving different proportions (19 % and 37 % by volume) of SADs in the peat-based growing medium, one treatment where growing medium with 37 % SAD was inoculated with active nitrifying bacteria, and one treatment where 15 % (v/v) of the peat in growing medium with 37 % SAD was replaced with sawdust to control nitrogen (N) availability during cultivation. A mineral-fertilized treatment (N-P-K 5–1-5) with approximately similar N amount as in the treatment with 37 % SAD was used as reference. Nutrient availability, nutrient uptake efficiency, crop performance (plant growth, biomass accumulation), and plant stress (chlorophyll fluorescence) were monitored during cultivation. The concentration of ammonium was initially high (190–416 mg/L substrate) in the growing media fertilized with anaerobic digestate, while the concentration of nitrate was low. Readily available ammonium concentration decreased rapidly during cultivation, to around 50 % after 10 days and to almost 100 % by the end of the cultivation. Available nitrate concentration was initially low (0–8 mg/L in the different treatments) and decreased to zero within a week, but increased slightly from day 40 of cultivation. Nutrient use efficiency was generally higher (15–50 % for different nutrients) in the treatment with 19 % digestate. Inclusion of sawdust in the growing medium decreased nutrient use efficiency by 30–50 %. Compared with the mineral-fertilizer reference, biomass production was lower in all treatments fertilized with digestate, with 37 % and 19 % SAD resulting in 62 % and 47 % of total biomass obtained in the reference, and similar reductions in yield of harvestable fruits. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated elevated plant stress in the treatments fertilized with SAD. Addition of sawdust or nitrifying bacteria did not help to control nitrogen availability during cultivation. Therefore, anaerobic digestate fertilizers need further optimization before they can be a competitive alternative to mineral fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Native rhizobacteria attenuate the negative effect of drought on tomato plants. • Bacterial inoculation increases endogenous melatonin levels of tomato plants. • PGPR improve photosystem II functionality of tomato plants under drought stress. • Correlation analysis between growth, biochemical, and physiological parameters is shown. Global food productivity is a growing concern due to increasing agricultural losses caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. Drought is one of the biggest threats to crop productivity. A promising alternative to maintain crop yields is the use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). A recently found phytohormone produced by PGPR, melatonin, has an important role in the tolerance of plant to abiotic stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inoculation with Pseudomonas 42P4 and Enterobacter 64S1 on the growth, biochemical, and physiology of tomato plants under drought stress. The results showed that PGPR inoculation increased growth parameters, total chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of tomato plants under drought stress. Native PGPR inoculation increased endogenous melatonin and the accumulation of proline levels and reduced lipid peroxidation, thus improving the drought tolerance of tomato plants. The findings of this study suggest that these native strains are able to reduce the impact of drought and could be a potent alternative to maintain crop productivity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian clocks are intrinsic time-keeping mechanisms that facilitate the coordination of development and physiological processes in plants with seasonal and diurnal variations in the environment. Pseudo-response regulator (PRR) genes regulate various essential processes, such as development, flowering time, and the formation of inflorescence architecture in the reproductive stage, principally by regulating transcriptional activity and protein function. The present research focused on genome-wide characterization, phylogenetic, cis-regulatory elements, miRNAs, 3D-sturcutural and expression profiling of the PRR proteins in tomato. Overall, 13 candidate genes were identified on six chromosomes (Chr1, Chr3, Chr4, Chr6, Chr8 and Chr10). Phylogenetic analysis categorized SlPRR gene members into four groups. All genes possess conserved PRR domains with unique sequences within these domains. Additionally, SlPRR genes exhibited diversity in numbers of exons and introns indicating potential functional divergence. Through comparative synteny investigation, it was ascertained that duplication events occurred. Furthermore, miRNAs were predicted to understand post-transcriptional changes in SlPRR genes. The results showed that SlPRR6 and SlPRR13 were targeted by 6 miRNAs each, while SlPRR1 and SlPRR3 were only targeted by 3 miRNAs. Three-dimensional (3D) configurations of 13 PRR proteins were also predicted. PRR genes exhibited differential expression pattern at both vegetative and reproductive stages in different time intervals. This pattern follows the sequence of early morning genes exhibiting the highest expression, followed by evening, and then noon. This implies that SlPRR genes have significant functions in various photoperiod signaling pathways throughout distinct periods during vegetative and reproductive stages. These findings stipulate a comprehensive understanding of the tomato PRR which can be employed for future functional studies of tomato PRR family members and their involvement in the intricate network of the circadian rhythm for regulating growth and development of plants. • Genome wide identification revealed 13 putative PRR genes in tomato genome. • In silico analysis enables the comprehensive characterization of circadian clock genes in tomato. • Differential expression pattern of PRR genes was observed at different time intervals in both vegetative and reproductive stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiation of plant vascular tissue is regulated by transcriptional networks during development and in response to environmental stimuli. The WALL-ASSOCIATED KINASES (WAKs) and WAK-likes (WAKLs) are cell surface receptors involved in cell expansion and defence in cells with primary walls, yet their roles in regulation of vascular tissue development that contain secondary walls remains unclear. In this study, we showed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) SlWAKL2 and the orthologous gene in Arabidopsis thaliana , AtWAKL14 , were specifically expressed in vascular tissues. SlWAKL2 -RNAi tomato plants displayed smaller fruit size with fewer seeds and vascular bundles compared to wild-type (WT) and over-expression (OE) lines. RNA-seq data showed that SlWAKL2 -RNAi fruits down-regulated transcript levels of genes related to vascular tissue development compared to WT. Histological analysis showed T-DNA insertion mutant wakl14–1 had reduced plant stem length with fewer number of xylem vessels and interfascicular fibres compared to WT, with no significant differences in cellulose and lignin content. Mutant wakl14–1 also showed reduced number of vascular bundles in fruit. A proWAKL14 ::mCherry-WAKL14 fusion protein was able to complement wakl14–1 phenotypes and showed mCherry-WAKL14 associated with the plasma membrane. In vitro binding assays showed both SlWAKL2 and AtWAKL14 can interact with pectin and oligogalacturonides. Our results reveal novel roles of WAKLs in regulating vascular tissue development. • SlWAKL2 and orthologous gene AtWAKL14 specifically expressed in vascular tissues. • SlWAKL2 -RNAi tomato plants displayed defects in vascular bundle development. • wakl14-1 also showed defects in vascular bundle development. • AtWAKL14 and SlWAKL2 can interact with pectin and oligogalacturonides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tomato production in the tropics is threatened by whitefly, Bemisia tabaci and tomato leaf curl virus. • 19 tomato genotypes were screened for whitefly population per leaf and tomato leaf curl disease severity. • Tomato genotypes 2016/Res-1, 2015/Res-5, 2014/Res-1 and 2014/Res-4 were categorized as resistant. • Leaf trichome density and total phenol content were reliable morphological and biochemical markers. Tomato production in the tropics is threatened by whitefly infestation and tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) causing severe economic losses. No stable resistance to these biotic challenges has been identified in eastern India. Therefore, initial screening of 19 advance breeding lines of tomato was carried out during the year 2016–17. Based on the whitefly population per leaf and tomato leaf curl disease severity, eight tomato genotypes were selected for final screening during the year 2017–18. Morphological leaf traits and biochemical parameters in tomato leaf were assessed in selected genotypes and considered as potential mediators of resistance. Significant variation was observed for whitefly infestation and ToLCV disease severity among the tomato genotypes tested. Higher leaf trichome density with narrow and thinner leaves and higher total phenol content in leaf emerged as reliable morphological and biochemical markers for early selection of tomato genotype resistant to whitefly and ToLCV disease. The resistance of tomato genotypes 2016/Res-1, 2015/Res-5, 2014/Res-1 and 2014/Res-4 to both whitefly and ToLCV disease is based on antixenotic properties and they could be utilized in future breeding to enhance stable resistance against these biotic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative RT- PCR is one of the most common methods to study gene expression in response to stress. Therefore, it is crucial to have suitable reference genes (RGs) for result normalization. Although several reports describe UV-B-modulated gene expression in Solanum lycopersicum , there are no suitable RGs identified until now. The aim of this work was to evaluate the suitability of seven traditional genes: actin (ACT), tubulin (TUB), ubiquitin (UBI), glyceraldehyde- 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), elongation factor 1α (EF1α), phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit (PP2A) and GAGA binding transcriptional activator (GAGA); and two non-traditional genes: thioredoxin h1 (TRX h1) and UV-B RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8), as candidate RGs for their potential use as reliable internal controls in leaves, stems and roots of tomato seedlings exposed to acute and chronic UV-B. The stability of these genes expression was evaluated using five statistical algorithms: geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Delta Ct and ANOVA. Considering the comprehensive stability ranking, we recommend ACT + TUB as the best pair of RGs for leaves, PP2A + GAPDH + TRX h1 for stems and TUB + UVR8 for roots. The reliability of the selected RGs for each tissue was verified amplifying tomato chalcone synthase 1 (CHS1) and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) photolyase (PHR1-LIKE). Under UV-B treatment, CHS1 was upregulated in leaves, stems and roots whereas PHR1-LIKE was only upregulated in leaves and stems. This interpretation differs when the most and least stable RGs are chosen. This is the first report regarding suitable RGs selection for accurate normalization of gene expression in tomato seedlings exposed to UV-B irradiation. • Nine candidate reference genes (RGs) were validated in tomato seedlings exposed to UV-B • Four conditions and three tissues were analysed with five statistical algorithms. • ACT +(TUB/PP2A/TRX h1) were the suggested RG in leaves, PP2A + GAPDH + TRX h1 in stems and TUB + UVR8 in roots. • UV-B induced CHS1 and PHR1-LIKE mRNA in leaves and stems whereas CHS1 in roots. • This work will facilitate RT-qPCR studies of UV-B exposed tomato seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MgO could enhance Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) host resistance. • MgO-pretreatment of tomato induced long-term immunity against FOL. • Activation of jasmonic acid signaling is essential for MgO-induced FOL immunity. • A primed state for defense is established in MgO-pretreated tomato plants. • MgO may induce immunity against a wide range of pathogens. Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL), is a worldwide tomato disease. Although Fusarium wilt management remains unsuccessful, enhancing host FOL resistance using magnesium oxide to activate plant immunity may enable effective control. We demonstrated that MgO-pretreatment of roots induced FOL resistance in susceptible tomato plants. Resistance was not induced in tomato mutants deficient in the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, whereas the opposite trend was observed in mutants deficient in the salicylic acid and ethylene signaling pathways, suggesting that JA signaling activation is essential for MgO-induced FOL immunity. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of MgO-pretreated tomato plants, and challenge-inoculated with FOL, revealed that MYELOCYTOMATOSIS ONCOGENE HOMOLOG 2 (MYC2), the master regulator of JA signaling, as well as MYC2 -targeted transcription factors that directly regulate the JA-induced transcription of late defense genes and their downstream wound-responsive genes were preferentially upregulated in both roots and stems. Moreover, in MgO-pretreated tomato plants challenge-inoculated with FOL, the late wound-responsive THREONINE DEAMINASE 2 (TD) gene was expressed earlier than its upstream genes, including MYC2 , suggesting that a primed state for defense was established in MgO-pretreated plants. We conclude that MgO is a promising agent for the control of Fusarium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important worldwide vegetable crop. This paramount crop would be infected by a serious set of pathogenic fungal diseases. Growth and production are hampered by early blight caused by Alternaria phragmospora. In vitro the production of growth promoted hormone indole acetic acid (IAA) by Aspergillus flavus isolated from the medicinal plant, Euphorbia geniculata was stimulated in culture media supplemented or not by tryptophan (120 and 40 μg mL−1) respectively. The blue fluorescence test showed that the endophytic A. flavus was lacking to produce aflatoxins. Inoculation of S. lycopersicum with A. flavus enhanced the fresh weight (FW) and plant length (PL) of S. lycopersicum significantly in comparison to untreated plants. The PL of treated plants was 39.05 cm ± 3.16, while control was 22.19 cm ± 4.54. IAA stimulated overproduction of lateral roots and root hairs in treated plants compared to control. After spraying with A. phragmospora , the treated plant with A. flavus showed healthy leaves and completely protected (100%) from the disease symptoms. There were significant increases in chlorophyll (1.68 mg g−1 FW), flavonoids (105.4 mg g−1 dry weight), carbohydrates (155.5 mg g−1 dry weight), phenolics (0.9 mg g−1 dry weight) and total proteins contents (94.13 mg g−1 dry weight) in treated plants relative to untreated control plants. Our findings demonstrated the contribution of A. flavus to improve the growth and the secondary metabolites contents of tomato, which subsequently leads to the improvement of the resistance of this plant to an aggressive plant pathogen like A. phragmospora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-destructive methods have been widely recognized for evaluating fruit quality traits of many horticultural crops and food processing industry. Destructive (analytical) test, and non-destructive evaluation of the quality traits were investigated and compared for 'Red Rose' tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit grown under protected environment. Fresh tomato fruit at five distinctive maturity stages namely; breaker (BK), turning (TG), pink (PK), light-red (LR), and red (RD) were labeled and scanned using the handheld near infra-red (NIR) enhanced spectrometer at a wavelength range of 285–1200 nm. The labeled tomato samples were then measured analytically for flesh firmness, lycopene, β-carotene, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC). The results revealed that quality traits could be estimated using NIR spectroscopy with a relatively high coefficient of determination (R2): 0.834 for total phenolic content, 0.864 for lycopene, 0.790 for total flavonoid content, 0.708 for β-carotene; and 0.679 for flesh firmness. The accumulation of Lyco and β-Car rapidly increased in tomatoes harvested between the TG and the LR maturity stages. Harvesting tomatoes at BK maturity stage resulted in significantly higher flesh firmness than harvesting at the later maturity stages. Tomato fruits had the lowest TPC and TFC contents at the earliest maturity stage (BK), while they had intermediate TPC and TFC levels at LR and RD maturity stages. NIR spectroscopic measurements of fruit firmness and lipophilic antioxidants in tomato fruit at various maturity stages were partially in accordance with those estimated by destructive (analytical) methods. Based on these findings, we recommend using non-destructive NIR spectroscopy as an effective tool for predicting tomato fruit quality during harvest stage and postharvest processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops in the world. Tomato is a plant model and the relationship between yield and biotic/abiotic stress has attracted increasing scientific interest. Tomato cultivation under sub-optimal conditions usually negatively impacts growth and development; in particular, heat stress affects several cellular and metabolic processes, such as respiration and photosynthesis. In this work, we studied the effects of chronic heat stress on various cytological and biochemical aspects using the Micro-Tom cultivar as a model. Photosynthetic efficiency decreased during heat stress while levels of post-photosynthetic sugars (sucrose, fructose, glucose and glucose 6-phosphate) oscillated during stress. Similarly, photosynthetic pigments (lutein, chlorophyll a , chlorophyll b and β-carotene) showed an oscillating downward trend with partial recovery during the stress-free phase. The energetic capacity of leaves (e.g. ATP and ADP) was altered, as well as the reactive oxygen species (ROS) profile; the latter increased during stress. Important effects were also found on the accumulation of Rubisco isoforms, which decreased in number. Heat stress also resulted in a decreased accumulation of lipids (oleic and linoleic acid). Photosynthetically alterations were accompanied by cytological changes in leaf structure, particularly in the number of lipid bodies and starch granules. Prolonged heat stress progressively compromised the photosynthetic efficiency of tomato leaves. The present study reports multi-approach information on metabolic and photosynthetic injuries and responses of tomato plants to chronic heat stress, highlighting the plant's ability to adapt to stress. • Heat stress affects the photosynthetic apparatus of tomato plant. • Heat stress induces changes in ATP, ADP and sugar concentrations of tomato leaves. • Rubisco enzyme's isoforms are differently accumulated in tomato leaves during heat stress. • Heat stress causes morphological and histological variations in tomato leaves. • Abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are involved in aluminum (Al) stress and jasmonic acid (JA)-regulated resistance responses. WRKYs act as regulators of Al-activated malate transporter (ALMT) proteins (anion channels) by directly binding to their promoters and altering malate efflux, thereby regulating Al ion toxicity in plant roots. JA enhances Al-induced root growth inhibition in Arabidopsis. However, the relationship between WRKY and ALMT genes and their involvement in JA-mediated root growth inhibition during Al stress in tomato remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate a similar phenomenon that JA enhances Al-induced root growth inhibition in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). By analyzing RNA-seq data and tissue-specific expression data from public databases, we selected 17 WRKY and 6 ALMT family genes to identify the genes participated in this process. The promoters of many of the selected genes contained MeJA responsive element, G-box (target site of MYC2, a core TF of JA signaling), and W-box (target site for WRKY). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression levels of selected WRKY and ALMT genes under AlCl 3 and Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. SlMYC2-VIGS seedlings and jasmonic acid-insensitive1 (jai1) mutant were also employed to analyze the expression patterns of selected genes. We find that SlALMT3 is responsible for the crosstalk regulatory mechanism between Al and JA in root growth inhibition, and 6 SlWRKYs may act as the upstream regulators of SlALMT3 in this crosstalk response. This study is initial and informative in exploring the crosstalk regulatory mechanism between JA and Al in tomato. • Jasmonic acid enhanced aluminum-induced root growth inhibition in tomato. • Aluminum induced the expression of genes related to JA biosynthesis and signaling. • SlMYC2-VIGS seedlings and jasmonic acid insensitive mutant jai1-1 were employed to evaluate the expression patterns of WRKY transcription factors and ALMT genes. • WRKY and ALMT regulatory module was involved in jasmonic acid-mediated root growth inhibition under aluminum stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoic acid (LA) and its reduced form (dihydrolipoic acid, DHLA) have unique antioxidant properties among such molecules. Moreover, after a process termed lipoylation, LA is an essential prosthetic group covalently-attached to several key multi-subunit enzymatic complexes involved in primary metabolism, including E2 subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). The metabolic pathway of lipoylation has been extensively studied in Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana in which protein modification occurs via two routes: de novo synthesis and salvage. Common to both pathways, lipoyl synthase (LIP1 in plants, LipA in bacteria, EC 2.8.1.8) inserts sulphur atoms into the molecule in a final, activating step. However, despite the detection of LA and DHLA in other plant species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), no plant LIP1s have been characterised to date from species other than Arabidopsis. In this work, we present the identification and characterisation of two LIPs from tomato, SlLIP1 and SlLIP1p. Consistent with in silico data, both are widely-expressed, particularly in reproductive organs. In line with bioinformatic predictions, we determine that yellow fluorescent protein tagged versions of SlLIP1 and SlLIP1p are mitochondrially- and plastidially-localised, respectively. Both possess the molecular hallmarks and domains of well-characterised bacterial LipAs. When heterologously-expressed in an E. coli lipA mutant, both are capable of complementing specific growth phenotypes and increasing lipoylation levels of E2 subunits of PDH in vivo , demonstrating that they do indeed function as lipoyl synthases. • Lipoyl synthase (LIP1) catalyses a key lipoylation step; only Arabidopsis LIP1s have been reported. • SlLIP1 and SlLIP1p are tomato proteins with the molecular hallmarks of LIP1s. • SlLIP1 is mitochondrial whereas SlLIP1p is plastidial. • Both SlLIP1s are widely-expressed and complement an E. coli lipoyl synthase mutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An open reading frame of sleh1 , a gene encoding for a novel epoxide hydrolase from Solanum lycopersicum (Sl EH1), was amplified by RT-PCR and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The substrate spectrum assay showed that E. coli / sleh1 had EH activities towards all tested substrates except for racemic (rac -) 5a , and the highest enantiomeric ratio (E > 200) towards rac - 2a, retaining (R)- 2a with 99.1% ee s and 49.2% yield s and affording (R)- 2b with 89.8% ee p and 46.7% yield p. Besides, E. coli / sleh1 also hydrolyzed of rac - 7a – 9a with moderate regioselectivities, producing (S)- or (R)- 7b – 9b with 40.5–51.3% ee p and 69.4–75.2% yield p. The pH optimum and stability of the purified Sl EH1 were 7.5 and at a range of 6.5–8.5, and it was thermostable at or below 40 °C. Its catalytic efficiency (k cat S / K m S = 7.49 mM−1 s−1) for (S)- 2a was much higher than that for (R)- 2a. The gram-scale kinetic resolution of 150 mM rac - 2a was carried out by E. coli / sleh1 at 20 °C for 8 h, producing (R)- 2a with 98.2% ee s and 45.3% overall yield s after purification by silica gel column chromatography. Furthermore, the source of extremely high enantioselectivity of Sl EH1 towards rac - 2a was analyzed by molecular docking simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]