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This study was carried out in order to determine some morphological characteristics of 240 tomato genotypes at S2 level and to demonstrate the usability of these materials in breeding programs. Accordingly, the average fruit weight was between 553.11 g and 74.83 g. The mean pericarp thickness, carpel number, and soluble dry matter content of the genotypes were 7.38 mm, 3.6 pieces and 4.04% brix, respectively. While the fruit color of 165 genotypes was determined as red, the longitudinal section shape of the fruit was determined as slightly flattened in 106 genotypes. The flowering period of the genotypes was determined as medium flowering. The leaf posture of the genotypes was determined as attitude, and the leaf width was determined as medium and broad leaves. Based on these measurements and observations, tomato genotypes were also investigated using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methods. According to the PCA results, the first component explained 24.2% of the total variance, and the number of fruit carpels, average fruit weight, and fruit width were the most highly explained parameters. The second and third main components constituted 13.1% and 11.2% of the total. Based on the results of fruit characterization studies, genotypes 233, 447, 126, 22, 391, 118, 71, 100, 340, 102 were determined as superior. Overall, a high degree of phenotypic variation was detected among the characterized tomato genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature stress is one of the major environmental factors that affect the growth and development of plants. Although WRKY transcription factors play a critical role in stress responses, there are few studies on the regulation of heat stress by WRKY transcription factors, especially in tomato. Here, we identified a group I WRKY transcription factor, SlWRKY3, involved in thermotolerance in tomato. First, SlWRKY3 was induced and upregulated under heat stress. Accordingly, overexpression of SlWRKY3 led to an increase, whereas knock-out of SlWRKY3 resulted in decreased tolerance to heat stress. Overexpression of SlWRKY3 accumulated less reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas knock-out of SlWRKY3 accumulated more ROS under heat stress. This indicated that SlWRKY3 positively regulates heat stress in tomato. In addition, SlWRKY3 activated the expression of a range of abiotic stress-responsive genes involved in ROS scavenging, such as a SlGRXS1 gene cluster. Further analysis showed that SlWRKY3 can bind to the promoters of the SlGRXS1 gene cluster and activate their expression. Collectively, these results imply that SlWRKY3 is a positive regulator of thermotolerance through direct binding to the promoters of the SlGRXS1 gene cluster and activating their expression and ROS scavenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the journal Environment & Ecology, discusses a study that assessed the genetic divergence in tomato germplasm accessions. The study used multivariate analysis techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis to evaluate 104 tomato accessions based on 13 quantitative traits. The results showed that the first four principal components had the greatest influence on the identified traits, and the tomato accessions were grouped into two significant clusters. The study identified several accessions that performed well in terms of yield and quality, which could be used in future breeding programs. This research provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity of tomato plants and can inform breeding efforts. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal Environment & Ecology, presents a study on tomato genotypes and their impact on yield. The experiment involved thirty-seven tomato germplasms and found that certain genotypes had higher fruit weight per plant. The study also examined the relationship between different characteristics and discovered that the number of fruits per plant was positively correlated with fruit size. This research provides valuable insights for breeding programs focused on enhancing tomato yield. The document includes data on fruit weight per plant in tomato plants and the direct and indirect effects of various characteristics on fruit weight. The data reveals that certain factors, such as days to flowering, days to maturity, number of branches, and number of fruit clusters, are negatively correlated with fruit weight, while factors like number of fruits per plant, fruit width, plant height, and number of locules per fruit are positively correlated. The document also explores the use of correlation and path coefficient analysis as selection parameters to improve yield in tomato breeding programs. The study identifies several superior genotypes with higher yield potential. [Extracted from the article]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world and abiotic stresses often cause serious problems in tomato production. It is thus important to identify new regulators in stress response and to devise new approaches to promote stress tolerance in tomato. Previous studies have shown that small secreted peptides (SSPs) are important signal molecules regulating plant growth and stress response by mediating intercellular communication. However, little is known about tomato SSPs, especially their roles in responding to abiotic stresses. Here we report the identification of 1,050 putative SSPs in the tomato genome, 557 of which were classified into 38 known SSP families based on their conserved domains. GO and transcriptome analyses revealed that a large proportion of SlSSPs might be involved in abiotic stress response. Further analysis indicated that stress response related cis-elements were present on the SlCEP promotors and a number of SlCEPs were significantly upregulated by drought treatments. Among the drought-inducible SlCEPs, SlCEP10 and SlCEP11b were selected for further analysis via exogenous application of synthetic peptides. The results showed that treatments with both SlCEP10 and SlCEP11b peptides enhanced tomato drought stress tolerance, indicating the potential roles of SlSSPs in abiotic stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato is one of the most cultivated vegetables in the world. In this context, intensive tomato breeding studies are carried out around the world and new cultivars are emerging every day, which leads to great competition. In particular, resistance or tolerance levelstolerance levels to some important diseases and pests are considered important in cultivar breeding and in determining the commercial value of cultivars. In this context, the determination of resistance levels to 70 tomatoes, Meloidogyne incognita, Tomato Yellow leaf curling virus (Tylcv), Verticillium wilt, Fusarium oxysporum radicis, Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Fusarium Wilt, which have the potential to become parent lines at S8 level due to their agromorphological characteristics formed the subject of this study. When the results of the study are examined, tomato genotypes showed resistance/sensitive levels according to combinations of alleles as 58 genotypes of RR (homozygous resistant), 10 Rr (heterozygous), 2 rr(sensitive) to Meloidogyne incognita, 45 RR (homozygous resistant), 15 Rr (heterozygous),10 rr (sensitive)to Verticillium dahliae, 10 to, 52 RR (homozygous resistant), 13 Rr (heterozygous), 5 rr (sensitive) to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, 46 RR (homozygous resistant) 18 Rr (heterozygous), 6 rr (sensitive) to Tomato Yellow leaf Curl Virus, Fusarium oxysporum (Fusarium wilt) 49 RR (homozygous resistant), 13 Rr (heterozygous), 8 rr (sensitive), Fusarium oxysporum radicis (Frl) 52 Their resistances were determined as RR (homozygous resistant), 12 Rr (heterozygous), 6 rr (sensitive). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf-color mutations have been studied extensively in plants. However, to better understand the complex mechanisms underlying the formation of leaf color, it is essential to continue discover novel genes involved in the process of leaf color development. In this study, we identified a variegated-leaf (vg) mutant in tomato that exhibited defective phenotypes in thylakoids and photosynthesis. To clone the vg locus, an F 2 population was constructed from the cross between the vg mutant (Solanum lycopersicum) and the wild tomato LA1589 (S. pimpinellifolium). Using the map-based cloning approach, the vg locus was mapped on chromosome 7 and narrowed down to a 128 kb region that contained 21 open reading frames (ORFs). The expression levels of ORF9, ORF10, and ORF13 were significantly lower in vg than in the wild-type plants, while the ORF11 transcript level was elevated in vg. We then mutagenized ORF9, ORF10, and ORF13 by the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the wild-type tomato background and found that only the ORF10 mutation reproduced the phenotype of variegated leaves, indicating that ORF10 represents VG and its down-regulated expression was responsible for the variegated leaf phenotype. ORF10 encodes a thylakoid formation protein and its mutant lines showed reduced levels of chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis. Taken together, these results suggest that VG is necessary for chloroplast development, chlorophyll synthesis, and photosynthesis in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two accessions of wild species of tomato, viz. EC-520060 (Solanum habrochaites) and EC-521080 (Solanum pimpinellifolium) have been utilized for introgression of ToLCV and EB resistant gene into 12 susceptible cultivars bearing good yield traits. Most of the crosses of EC-520060 exhibited 13 (resistant): 3 (susceptible) genetic ratio but 'Flora Dade × EC-520060' expressed 3:1 genetic ratio. The crosses of EC-521080 have diverse genetic ratio of 1:2:1, 3:1 and 1:3. In result of inheritance of EB, the crosses of EC-520060 revealed 3:1 genetic ratio, and the crosses of EC-521080 represented 1:3, 1:2:1 and 3:1 genetic ratio. The crosses of EC-520060 and EC-521080 showed additive, dominance × dominance and additive × additive genetic models for both ToLCV and EB diseases. The inheritance among crosses and genetics of variables can be utilized for improvement of resistant tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have developed mechanisms to cope with stresses in their environments as they grow in diverse settings. Such means include releasing plant defense compounds upon attacks by pests or other stressors. Plants with these characteristics are essential as a plant germplasm source for breeding resistance against herbivores and insect pests. Therefore, this study aimed to screen germplasms for whitefly resistance and characterize the secondary metabolites responsible for this. Thirty local tomato accessions were screened for resistance against whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius) in the screen house located at Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (PTHPA) between January and April 2021. From this screening, seven local tomato cultivars: TZA3729, TZA5554, TZA5545, TZA5562, TZA5552, TZA3177 and TZA5157, showed resistance, and one accession (TZA5496) that showed susceptibility to whiteflies (negative control) and accession V1030462 that was a standard (positive control) were selected for the subsequent experiments. The experiment was conducted in July–October 2021 in the screen house at TPHPA and repeated in January–April 2022 using a completely randomized block design with three replications. From this experiment, three accessions: TZA3729, TZA5562 and TZA5157, showed resistance against whiteflies. However, accession TZA3729 was more resistant than TZA5562 and TZA5157 when compared to the resistant accession V1030462. Therefore, these accessions were further screened for secondary metabolites responsible for resistance against herbivores and insect pests—in this case, whiteflies. The GS-MS methanol extract results showed accession TZA3729 to possess a wide array of secondary plant metabolites responsible for plant self-defenses, such as diterpenes, Tetraterpenes, alkaloids, carotenoids and fatty acid esters. Therefore, the study recommends accession TZA3729 as a source of tomato plant germplasm for breeding tomatoes resistant to whiteflies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature stress decreases yield and quality of tomato in greenhouse conditions. For successful tomato cultivation under the cold stress, cultivars performances are extremely important both vegetative and reproductive growth stage. In this study, 20 tomato pure lines and 3 commercial cultivars (Cigdem F1, Anit F1 and Bestona F1) and also Solanum hirsutum (LA 1777) known as tolerant genotypes were evaluated at vegetative and reproductive stage. The studies were conducted under both the cold stress in growth chamber and the optimal temperature condition (control) in the greenhouse. They were evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL) and dry matter yield (DM) at vegetative stage. The results showed that EL rate and MDA content increased while DM decreased under the cold stress when compared with leaves of plants grown at optimal temperature. In reproductive stage, pollen viability and pollen germination were evaluated under both cold stress and control conditions for all genotypes. All the sensitive genotypes exhibited low pollen viability and pollen germination. Consequently, three pure lines were identified with lowtemperature tolerant in vegetative and reproductive growth stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine some morphological characteristics of 94 tomato genotypes at the S4 level and to reveal the relationships between these materials. In the study, leaf attitude, leaf length, leaf width, number of flowers, fruit color, fruit weight, fruit width, fruit length, the thickness of pericarp, fruit shape, fruit diameter, number of locules, and total soluble solid content (TTSC) were measured and observed in these genotypes. As a result of the phenotypic assessment, the maximum fruit weight values of the genotypes were observed as in G9 (317.59 g), G54 (310 g), G92 (292.85 g), G70 (287.01 g), and G110 (276.66 g); and the lowest fruit weight values were observed in G26 (18.302 g) and G8 (14.48 g). Average fruit length, fruit width, pericarp thickness, and the number of carpels were recorded (69.09 mm, 56.90 mm, 6.37 mm, and 4 carpels respectively). Tomato genotypes were also investigated using Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method based on these measurements and observations. As a result of this analysis, five independent principal component axes were obtained. While these axes represent 69.28% of the total variation, the eigen values were ranged between 1.06 and 4.02. According to the PCA analysis results, genotypes G7, G81, G93, and G103 were prominent in terms of leaf length, fruit width, fruit weight, and carpel number parameters. Based on TSSC results, the G65 genotype was found to be the most prominent one, and the genotypes G12 and G114 exhibit promising results for fruit color. A high degree of morphological variation was detected among tomato genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold stress is considered as one of the major environmental factors that adversely affects the plant growth and distribution. Therefore, there arises an immediate need to cultivate effective strategies aimed at developing stress-tolerant crops that would boost the production and minimise the risks associated with cold stress. In this study, a novel cold-responsive protein1 (BoCRP1) isolated from Brassica oleracea was ectopically expressed in a cold susceptible tomato genotype Shalimar 1 and its function was investigated in response to chilling stress. BoCRP1 was constitutively expressed in all the tissues of B. oleracea including leaf, root and stem. However, its expression was found to be significantly increased in response to cold stress. Moreover, transgenic tomato plants expressing BoCRP1 exhibited increased tolerance to chilling stress (4 °C) with an overall improved rate of seed germination, increased root length, reduced membrane damage and increased accumulation of osmoprotectants. Furthermore, we observed increased transcript levels of stress responsive genes and enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes in transgenic plants on exposure to chilling stress. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that BoCRP1 is a promising candidate gene to improve the cold stress tolerance in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary dynamics at the population level play a central role in creating the diversity of life on our planet. In this study, we sought to understand the origins of such population-level variation in mating systems and defensive acylsugar chemistry in Solanum habrochaites —a wild tomato species found in diverse Andean habitats in Ecuador and Peru. Using Restriction-site-Associated-DNA-Sequencing (RAD-seq) of 50 S. habrochaites accessions, we identified eight population clusters generated via isolation and hybridization dynamics of 4–6 ancestral populations. Detailed characterization of mating systems of these clusters revealed emergence of multiple self-compatible (SC) groups from progenitor self-incompatible populations in the northern part of the species range. Emergence of these SC groups was also associated with fixation of deleterious alleles inactivating acylsugar acetylation. The Amotape-Huancabamba Zone—a geographical landmark in the Andes with high endemism and isolated microhabitats—was identified as a major driver of differentiation in the northern species range, whereas large geographical distances contributed to population structure and evolution of a novel SC group in the central and southern parts of the range, where the species was also inferred to have originated. Findings presented here highlight the role of the diverse ecogeography of Peru and Ecuador in generating population differentiation, and enhance our understanding of the microevolutionary processes that create biological diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Hortícolas is the property of Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Horticolas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tomatoes are usually consumed daily in the human diet. High temperatures reduce the number of tomato yields per year. Heat stress has been considered one of the most prominent causes of alterations in morphological and molecular characteristics in crops that decrease normal growth, production, and yield in diverse plants, including tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). In this study, we evaluated six tomato lines, namely G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6, at morphological, molecular, and cytological levels under heat stress. The average results of two seasons (2018 and 2019) clarified that the G6, G1, and G2 lines recorded the highest flowering values, as well as some fruit and vegetative growth traits. Furthermore, G6 and G2 had the maximum number of fruits/plant, whereas G2 and G1 produced the highest yield/plant under high temperatures. The number of chromosomes in all lines was 2n = 24, except for G5, in which the number was 2n = 26, whereas chromosome sizes were small, ranging from 323.08 to 464.48 µm. The G1 cultivar was a symmetrical cultivar (primitive), having the highest total form percentage (TF%) and symmetry index (Syi) values and the minimum karyotype asymmetry index (ASK) value, whereas G4 was asymmetrical (advanced). Molecular marker analysis demonstrated that intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers 49A, HB-14, 49A, 49B, and 89B presented the highest values for polymorphism percentage P%, marker index (MI), effective multiplex ratio (EMR), and polymorphism information content (PIC), respectively. In contrast, OP-A3, OP-B3, SCoT 2, and SCoT 12 primers showed the highest PIC, EMR, MI, P%, and resolving power (Rp) values across the studied random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and start codon-targeted (SCoT) primers. Moreover, ISSR revealed the highest number of unique specific markers (6), followed by RAPD (4) and SCoT (3) markers. Cluster analysis of combined cytological data and data relating to molecular marker attributes separated the G1, G2, and G3 lines into one group, whereas the other lines were clustered in another group. On the whole, the application of combined analysis using morphological, cytological, and molecular genetics techniques could be considered to provide suitable parameters for studying the evolution of the genetic divergence between the studied tomato lines [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to current agrochemicals. This study evaluated the impact of three Bacillus spp. (5PB1, 1PB1, FV46) and one Brevibacillus sp. (C9F) on the important crop tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using the model cv. 'MicroTom'. The effects of these isolates were assessed on (a) seedlings' growth and vigor, and (b) adult potted plants. In potted plants, several photosynthetic parameters (chlorophylls (a and b), carotenoids and anthocyanins contents, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, net CO2 photosynthetic rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration, and on chlorophyll fluorescence yields of light- and dark-adapted leaves)), as well as soluble sugars and starch contents, were quantified. Additionally, the effects on redox status were evaluated. While the growth of seedlings was, overall, not influenced by the strains, some effects were observed on adult plants. The Bacillus safensis FV46 stimulated the content of pigments, compared to C9F. Bacillus zhangzhouensis 5PB1 increased starch levels and was positively correlated with some parameters of the photophosphorylation and the gas exchange phases. Interestingly, Bacillus megaterium 1PB1 decreased superoxide (O2-) content, and B. safensis FV46 promoted non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses, increasing total phenol content levels. These results, conducted on a model cultivar, support the theory that these isolates differently act on tomato plant physiology, and that their activity depends on the age of the plant, and may differently influence photosynthesis. It would now be interesting to analyze the influence of these bacteria using commercial cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is a key factor influencing plant growth and productivity, however sudden increases in temperature can cause severe consequences in terms of crop performance. We evaluated the influence of elementary sulfur application on the physiology and growth of two tomato genotypes ("Ahmar" and "Roma") grown in two growth chambers (at 25 and 45 °C). Plants were sprayed with 2, 4, 6, and 8 ppm Sulfur 45 days after sowing (untreated plants were kept as control). Plants of the "Roma" cultivar receiving 6 ppm Sulfur exhibited maximal shoot and root biomass values followed by those receiving 4 ppm under both temperature conditions. Maximal CO2 index, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and greenness index values (188.1 μmol mol-1, 36.3 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 1.8 μmol H2O m-2 s-1 and 95 SPAD, respectively) were observed in plants of "Roma" cultivar grown at 25 °C, indicating positive influences of sulfur on tomato physiology. Similarly, sulfur maximized proline, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents in leaves of both genotypes at both temperatures. The differences between control and sulfur-treated plants grown under heat stress indicate a possible role of sulfur in mitigating heat stress. Overall, our results suggest that 6 ppm of sulfur is the best dose to alleviate tomato heat stress and enhance the morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lucrari Stiintifice, Universitatea de Stiinte Agricole Si Medicina Veterinara Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iasi, Seria Horticultura is the property of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (Editura Ion Ionescu de la Brad) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

GRAS proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in plant development and stress responses. However, their involvement in the ripening of economically important fruits and their transcriptional regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we demonstrated that SlGRAS4, encoding a transcription factor of the GRAS family, was induced by the tomato ripening process and regulated by ethylene. Overexpression of SlGRAS4 accelerated fruit ripening, increased the total carotenoid content and increased PSY1 expression in SlGRAS4-OE fruit compared to wild-type fruit. The expression levels of key ethylene biosynthesis genes (SlACS2, SlACS4, SlACO1, and SlACO3) and crucial ripening regulators (RIN and NOR) were increased in SlGRAS4-OE fruit. The negative regulator of tomato fruit ripening, SlMADS1, was repressed in OE fruit. Exogenous ethylene and 1-MCP treatment revealed that more endogenous ethylene was derived in SlGRAS4-OE fruit. More obvious phenotypes were observed in OE seedlings after ACC treatment. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays confirmed that SlGRAS4 can directly bind SlACO1 and SlACO3 promoters to activate their transcription, and SlGRAS4 can also directly repress SlMADS1 expression. Our study identified that SlGRAS4 acts as a new regulator of fruit ripening by regulating ethylene biosynthesis genes in a direct manner. This provides new knowledge of GRAS transcription factors involved in regulating fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four common landraces of tomato were investigated for the response in some physiological parameter and variation in gene expression. The results of the present study found that salinity stress is negatively affect germination percentage and ranged from 60% to 80% and the effect of salinity levels was found to be related to the exposure time to salinity treatment and the genotypic of tomato landraces. similar negative effect of salinity was reported the length of radical length. The amount of chlorophyll was highly influenced by salinity and was ranged between about 26 to 40 and was found to be largely dependent on genotypic characteristics of tomato landraces and the time of exposure to salinity. Moreover, it was found that the increase in salinity level significantly impacted the stomatal conductance of varied genotype of tomatos. Additionally, germination rate and germination rate were both affected by salinity with varied degrees. Based on the results (chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and germination ability) presented in this study it was found that the landrace (111) and landrace (975) were both salt tolerant and the landrace of Quaresma (111) is highly sensitive to salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E3 ubiquitin ligases are a central modifier of plant signaling pathways that act through targeting proteins to the degradation pathway. U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases are a distinct class of E3 ligases that utilize intramolecular interactions for its scaffold stabilization. U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases are prevalent in plants in comparison to animals. However, the evolutionary aspects, genetic organizations, and functional fate of the U-box E3 gene family in plant development, especially in tomato is not well understood. In the present study, we have performed in-silico genome-wide analysis of the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase gene family in Solanum lycopersicum. We have identified 62 U-box genes with U-box/Ub Fusion Degradation 2 (UFD2) domain. The chromosomal localization, phylogenetic analysis, gene structure, motifs, gene duplication, syntenic regions, promoter, physicochemical properties, and ontology were investigated. The U-box gene family showed significant conservation of the U-box domain throughout the gene family. Duplicated genes discerned noticeable functional transitions among duplicated genes. The gene expression profiles of U-box E3 family members show involvement in abiotic and biotic stress signaling as well as hormonal pathways. We found remarkable participation of the U-box gene family in the vegetative and reproductive tissue development. It is predicted to be actively regulating flowering time and endosperm formation. Our study provides a comprehensive picture of distribution, structural features, promoter elements, evolutionary relationship, and gene expression of the U-box gene family in the tomato. We predict the crucial participation of the U-box gene family in tomato plant development and stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biological experiment was conducted to study the effect of magnetized water to control fusarium wilt disease in the tomato caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and its effect on tomato production under the conditions of fertilized and protected agriculture. For this purpose, magnetic fields with 0, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 Guass, were used for biological control of pathogenic fungi on two types of local and foreign tomatoes. All the experiments were designed according to Complete Random Design. The seeds of the tomato were planted in a 10 kg bag of mixed soil with pittmoss with ratio 1:1. The effect of magnetized water on the severity of disease was measured using pathological evidence and growth parameters, plant height, number of branches, length of the leaf and production. Field results (under protected conditions) showed significant differences at p<0.05 between the magnetic water and the control. The diameter of the fungus colonies decreased in the petri dishes with different magnetic water fields, until the inhibitory rate of fungal growth was 100% when using magnetized water to 3000 Gauss. The incidence of fungal infection after 40 days decreased by increasing the magnetized water. The intensity of the fungal infection decreased to 15.3% in foreign type and the local up to 22.5% at the magnetic intensity of 3000 Gauss compared to the control treatment with infection of 80.2% and 90.6%, respectively. While, the increasing levels of growth and production by increasing the magnetic field of irrigation water. Where the plant height was 40.3cm for the foreign type and 33.5cm for the local type at a magnification intensity of 3000 Gauss, compared to the control treatment, where the plants were 19.2cm high and 18.9cm respectively. As well as the number of branches and the length of the leaf plant. The production of the fruit of the Tomato for one jar was about 3.83 kg of the Foton and 2.70 kg of the local type of the water with a magnetic field of 3000 Gauss compared to control plants foton 2.13 kg and local type 1.20 kg . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change, economically important crop plants will encounter flooding periods causing hypoxic stress more frequently. This may lead to reduced yields and endanger food security. As roots are the first organ to be affected by hypoxia, the ability to sense and respond to hypoxic stress is crucial. At the molecular level, therefore, fine-tuning the regulation of gene expression in the root is essential for hypoxia tolerance. Using an RNA-Seq approach, we investigated transcriptome modulation in tomato roots of the cultivar 'Moneymaker', in response to short- (6 h) and long-term (48 h) hypoxia. Hypoxia duration appeared to have a significant impact on gene expression such that the roots of five weeks old tomato plants showed a distinct time-dependent transcriptome response. We observed expression changes in 267 and 1421 genes under short- and long-term hypoxia, respectively. Among these, 243 genes experienced changed expression at both time points. We identified tomato genes with a potential role in aerenchyma formation which facilitates oxygen transport and may act as an escape mechanism enabling hypoxia tolerance. Moreover, we identified differentially regulated genes related to carbon and amino acid metabolism and redox homeostasis. Of particular interest were the differentially regulated transcription factors, which act as master regulators of downstream target genes involved in responses to short and/or long-term hypoxia. Our data suggest a temporal metabolic and anatomic adjustment to hypoxia in tomato root which requires further investigation. We propose that the regulated genes identified in this study are good candidates for further studies regarding hypoxia tolerance in tomato or other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Red Cloud' (RC) is a cultivar of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) which one of the main agricultural products classified as cultivated plants, it is very important in many countries throughout the world. RC prefers open sunny areas. For this plant, temperature variations are important and have solutions to improve the effects of cold stress by many ways. This study was undertaken to determine the expression of FeSOD (iron superoxide dismutase) and SlNCED1 (a key enzyme in the ABA biosynthetic pathway) genes using qRT-PCR and some physiological features of RC under cold stress. For this purpose, after flowering and fruiting, the potted tomatoes were placed at 2, 4 and –1°C for 8, 12 and 24 h. To measure superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity, the extract of RC fruits was prepared, and the total protein content (TPrC) was analysed using the standard curve of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). Moreover, non-enzymatic antioxidants and total phenol contents (TPC) were measured by diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin Ciocalteu methods respectively. The results illustrated that all samples at 2°C and 12 h showed the lowest IC50 value, and also the highest amount of TPC was observed in 2–12 sample. Compared to the control, in all treatment groups, FeSOD and SlNCED1 genes expression were higher and much more significant at 4°C, 12 and 24 h, respectively. It has also been demonstrated that at lower temperatures, the TPrC raised and simultaneously, SOD showed the highest levels of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of covering with black polyethylene mulch on soil properties and also over plant physiological behavior. Analyzed gas-exchange parameters were: soil net CO2 exchange rate (NCER), soil respiration (Ce) and water humidity (W flux) as soil indicators and photosynthetic rate, transpiration, and stomatal conductance and also sugars leaf content as plant physiological indicators. Plant material was Prekos tomato variety cultivated in protected organic system at The Vegetable Research and Development Station Bacau (SCDL Bacău). Our analysis showed that black plastic mulch on the soil surface favored soil compaction especially on the space between tomato plant rows. The strong soil compactness state was reflected by the high bulk density values and other indicators as smooth soil surface and the cracks networks. In variant with no black plastic cover, soil gas-exchange showed that net CO2 exchange rate of was 7.94 µmol m-2s-1 and soil CO2 flux as soil respiration was 77.4 µmol m-2s-1 both higher in comparison with black polyethylene covering variant. In variant with black plastic cover because of higher soil moisture under polyethylene the water flux between air and soil are increased. Photosynthesis registered a slight increase, having the value of 10 µmol m-2s-1 in flowering phenophase (June) and about 11 µmol m-2s-1 in ripening phenophase (July) in uncovered with polyethylene variant. During the studied period, the variant uncovered with black plastic (polyethylene) registered a small variation of the photosynthesis rate but a higher mean value than covered variant. Covered variant registered a higher value in the flowering phenophase and a smaller value in ripening stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, world, horticultural producers and processors are concerned to obtain high quality organic products in conditions of economic profitability. The main aim of the research is to highlight the physico -- chemical characteristics of some improved genotypes from the species Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. obtained in ecological system in the experimental field within USAMV Iasi in 2019. Thus, the aim was to highlight some qualitative parameters, respectively: titrable acidity, pH value, total dry matter content, soluble dry matter, vitamin c, carotene and lycopene content. The biological material was represented by 37 improved tomato genotypes in order to ensure competitive horticultural techniques. The 37 genotypes of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. showed an average value of the total dry matter content of 7.07 ± 0.5%, showing an oscillating amplitude of the lower delimited values of 4.64% (G223) and 17.9% (G265). The average pH value was 4.4 with limits that fell within the range of variation [4.15 - 4.85]. The content of vitamin C ranged between 14 mg/ 100 g and 29 mg/ 100 g. Other components with antioxidant value that have been shown in important proportions are represented by carotenes (2.36 - 21.22 mg/ 100 g) and lycopene (3.01 - 33.7 mg/ 100 g). This research results strengthens the data in the literature referring to the bioactive compounds of tomatoes emphasizing that the study was conducted for different genotypes grown in organic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying new tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes with improved technological performances is an important requisite for achieving high yield and quality of industrial produce. An open-field experiment was carried out in southern Italy in order to assess the effects of three elongated tomato hybrids oriented to 'peeled' chain (Max 14802, Massaro, Taylor) in terms of crop productivity and nutritional value. The hybrid Taylor showed the highest marketable yield due to the highest fruit number, whereas Massaro showed the highest processing efficiency. Among the three genotypes compared, titratable acidity and fiber were highest in Max 14802 fruits (0.45 g anhydrous citric acid·100 g-1 and 0.94 g·100 g-1 respectively), Taylor was best ranking in terms of fat and sucrose content, and Massaro achieved the highest glucose, fructose and rutin accumulation. Compared to fresh fruits, peeled tomatoes attained higher values of total and soluble solids, reducing sugars, total polyphenols (referred to fresh weight), rutin and naringenin, but had a decreased value of colour coordinate a/b ratio. No significant differences between the three tomato cultivars were recorded in terms of sensorial traits. From the present research interesting clues have arisen regarding the best performances of the hybrid Taylor in terms of fruit yield and organic acid content, and of the hybrid Massaro regarding the processing efficiency and fruit health-beneficial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solanum lycopersicum L., an important vegetable crop (Tomato) in most regions of the world, is affected by high temperature stress at various stages of its growth. Likely increase in periodicity of high temperature episodes under climate change conditions would further affect the tomato production. To sustain productivity and yields under climate change situations, there is an urgent need to develop suitable cultivrsa as an adaptation strateyg. For this endeavour, identification of high temperature tolerant lines for crop improvement is a prerequisite. Hence in the present study, temperature induction response (TIR) technique was employed to evaluate thermotolerance in 52 tomato genotypes. Two day old seedlings were subjected to an initial induction treatment i.e., gradual temperature increase from 33-43°C for 3 h followed by 50°C for 3 h as challenging temperature. Wide variability was seen for seedling survival and vigour. In genotypes IIHR-2202, IIHR-2836 and IIHR-2841 seedling survival was as high as 90%, while H-329, H-371, IIHR-2745 and H-335 showed least reduction in growth and also had better seedling vigour index. Of the 52 genotypes, 21 were identified as tolerant, 12 moderately tolerant and 19 susceptible. This TIR technique is simple, quick and less expensive than whole plant screening. Hence, it could be used by plant physiologists and plant breeders for screening seedlings at an early stage in the phenotyping and crop improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly discovered bacterial species, Pseudomonas floridensis, has emerged as a pathogen of tomato in Florida. This study compares the virulence and other attributes of P. floridensis to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, which causes bacterial speck disease of tomato. Pseudomonas floridensis reached lower population levels in leaves of tomato as compared to the P. syringae pv. tomato strains DC3000 and NYT1. Analysis of the genome sequence of the P. floridensis type strain GEV388 revealed that it has just nine type III effectors including AvrPtoBGEV388, which is 66% identical to AvrPtoB in DC3000. Five of these effectors have been previously reported to be members of a 'minimal effector repertoire' required for full DC3000 virulence on Nicotiana benthamiana; however, GEV388 grew poorly on leaves of this plant species compared to the DC3000 minimal effector strain. The tomato Pto gene recognizes AvrPtoB in race 0 P. syringae pv. tomato strains, thereby conferring resistance to bacterial speck disease. Pto was also found to confer resistance to P. floridensis, indicating this gene will be useful in the protection of tomato against this newly emerged pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the highest-value vegetable crops worldwide. Understanding the genetic regulation of primary metabolite levels can inform efforts aimed toward improving the nutrition of commercial tomato cultivars, while maintaining key traits such as yield and stress tolerance. We identified 388 suggestive association loci (including 126 significant loci) for 92 metabolic traits including nutrition and flavor-related loci by genome-wide association study from 302 accessions in two different environments. Among them, an ascorbate quantitative trait locus TFA9 (OMATO RUIT SCORBATEON CHROMOSOME ) co-localized with SlbHLH59, which promotes high ascorbate accumulation by directly binding to the promoter of structural genes involved in the D-mannose/L-galactose pathway. The causal mutation of TFA9 is an 8-bp InDel, named InDel_8, located in the promoter region of SlbHLH59 and spanned a 5’UTR Py-rich stretch motif affecting its expression. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that differentially expressed SlbHLH59 alleles were selected during tomato domestication. Our results provide a dramatic illustration of how ascorbate biosynthesis can be regulated and was selected during the domestication of tomato. Furthermore, the findings provide novel genetic insights into natural variation of metabolites in tomato fruit, and will promote efficient utilization of metabolite traits in tomato improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the response of six contrasting tomato genotypes to high temperature stress. Tomato genotypes were grown under polytunnel to expose them to high temperature (40 ± 2°C) for ten days after flower initiation. Physiological parameters viz., relative water content (RWC), epicuticular wax content, membrane stability index, lipid peroxidation (MDA content) and specific leaf area were recorded in the leaf samples collected second, fifth and ninth day after imposition of high temperature treatment. Membrane stability index decreased significantly in IIHR-2914, IIHR-2627 and Arka Abha genotypes upon temperature stress as compared to other genotypes. Although, there was no significant difference in RWC during early stages of stress, it was significantly higher in IIHR-2841, IIHR-2202 and IIHR-2745 genotypes at ninth day. Epicuticular wax content increased significantly in genotypes IIHR-2202 and IIHR-2841 compared to other genotypes; whereas, lipid peroxidation increased significantly in genotypes Arka Abha and IIHR-2627. Based on these results, genotypes viz., IIHR-2841 and IIHR-2202 were found to be temperature tolerant, while Arka Abha and IIHR-2914 were comparatively sensitive. The genotypes identified as tolerant to high temperature can act as a potential genetic material for future breeding programs to develop high yielding temperature tolerant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The heat stress priming and acclimation system for acquired and maintenance of acquired thermotolerance of tomato have been established. • Antioxidant enzymes act as indicators predicting intension of acquired and maintenance of acquired thermotolerance. • The relationships between basal, acquired and maintenance of acquired thermotolerance of tomato are illuminated. Abstract Heat stress seriously threats the crop production. Understanding different types of thermotolerance and illustrating the relationship of these types were essential. The activities of different antioxidant enzymes were determined after heat priming and acclimation for a heat resistant (R) and sensitive tomato genotype. We optimized the treatments for priming in acquired thermotolerance (AT) and acclimation in maintenance of acquired thermotolerance (MT). Then the intension of basal thermotolerance (BT), AT and MT were tested by using lethal temperature (45 °C). The peak of antioxidant enzyme activity (AEA) was identity with the priming time, indicating AEA can predict the optimal-priming time of AT and MT. Moderate high-temperature induced stronger thermotolerance than warmer high-temperature, but the priming time was longer than warmer high-temperature. Moreover, S needed longer priming time than R, due to the slowly AEA increasing and the AT of S also showed weaker than that of R. When the first-optimized-priming combined with secondary-priming for a reasonable duration, its thermotolerance further enhanced. Surprisingly, these optimized-acclimation treatments showed no difference in MT, suggesting secondary-priming could supply gaps produced by the first-optimized-priming of warmer high-temperature. In addition, R also responded the secondary-priming quickly than S, due to the quickly AEA increasing. While, after optimized-acclimations, thermotolerance of S showed no difference with R, suggesting secondary-priming can also narrow the thermotolerance-gap between S and R. Results from this study will accelerate screening of heat tolerant cultivars and provide insights into the choice of tomato cultivars in the changing temperatures environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Resequencing of "Caimanta" and "LA0722" reveals polymorphisms across the tomato genome. • Multiple sequence comparisons revealed several features relevant for breeding goals. • Development of DNA markers for easily accessed genotyping platforms. • Linkage map construction as genetic reference for QTL detection and resource for MAS. Abstract Next generation sequencing technologies have become affordable for most plant breeding programs. In this study we sequenced the entire genome of the Solanum lycopersicum L. cultivar Caimanta and S. pimpinellifolium L. accession LA0722 with assembly relative to the Heinz 1706 reference version SL2.50. We present 1) analysis of the amount and distribution of polymorphism in "Caimanta" and "LA0722", 2) examination of alleles in candidate genes affecting disease resistance, fruit shape, fruit weight and fruit quality and 3) development of molecular markers to construct a genetic linkage map based on a F 2 population. A total of 1,397,518 polymorphisms were detected in the comparison between "Caimanta" and "LA0722". A resistant allele for Rx4/ Xv3 was detected by sequence, and confirmed through inoculation. - We developed a set of insertion/deletion (InDel) DNA markers that can be multiplexed and scored using easily accessed genotyping platforms. These markers were used to construct a genetic linkage map. We demonstrate that the whole genome sequencing of parental lines can be successfully used to reveal phenotypes and characterize a reference population through easily accessed genotyping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The cellulose synthase gene superfamily, which includes the cellulose synthase (CesA) and cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene families, plays a vital role in the biosynthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants. However, these genes have not been extensively studied in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a model for Solanaceae plants and for fleshy fruit development. Here, we identified and systematically analyzed 38 CesA / Csl family members that contained cellulose synthase domain regions, and categorized their encoded proteins into 6 subfamilies (CesA, CslA, CslB, CslD, CslE, and CslG) based on phylogenetic analysis. Most CesA / Csl genes from tomato are closely related to those from Arabidopsis , but the families have distinct features regarding gene structure, chromosome distribution and localization, phylogeny, and deduced protein sequence, indicating that they arose via different evolutionary process. Furthermore, expression analysis of CesA / Csl genes in different tissues at various developmental stages showed that most CesAs were constitutively expressed with differential expression levels in various organs; three CslD genes were expressed specifically in flowers, and four CesA and five Csl putative genes were preferentially expressed in fruits. Our results provide insight into the general characteristics of the CesA / Csl genes in tomato, and lay the foundation for further functional studies of CesA / Csl genes in tomato and other Solanaceae species. Highlights • 38 CesA / Csl family members containing cellulose synthase domain were identified in Solanum lycopersicum. • 38 tomato CesA / Csl families were separated into the five subclasses. • The unique Csl genes were identified in Group II and V. • The tissue specific gene expression patterns of 28 CesA / Csl genes were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • COD and BADH transgenic tomato plants can synthesis and accumulate glycinebetaine. • Glycinebetaine enhances the fruit development and size in transgenic tomato plants. • Glycinebetaine regulates the source-sink metabolism and phytohormones to increase the fruit development and size. • Glycinebetaine affects the expression of fruit development-related genes in transgenic tomato plants. • The transcriptome analysis indicated that glycinebetaine promotes tomato fruit development in multiple ways. Abstract Glycinebetaine has been widely considered as an effective protectant against abiotic stress in plants, and also found to promote plant growth under normal growing conditions, especially during the reproductive stage. Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) and choline oxidase (COD) are two key enzymes which have been used to confer glycinebetaine synthesis in plant which normally does not synthesis glycinebetaine. In this study, we used the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, cv 'Moneymaker') plants of wild-type and the transgenic lines codA (L1, L2) and BADH (2, 46), which were transformed with codA and BADH , respectively, to study the impact of glycinebetaine on tomato fruit development. Our results showed that the codA and BADH transgenes induced the formation of enlarged flowers and fruits in transgenic tomato plants. In addition, the transgenic tomato plants had a higher photosynthetic rate, higher assimilates content, and higher leaf chlorophyll content than the wild-type plants. We also found that the enlargement of fruit size was related to the contents of phytohormones, such as auxin, brassinolide, gibberellin, and cytokinin. Additionally, qPCR results indicated that the expressions levels of certain genes related to fruit growth and development were also elevated in transgenic plants. Finally, transcriptome sequencing results revealed that the differences in the levels of gene expression in tomato fruit between the transgenic and wild-type plants were observed in multiple pathways, predominantly those of photosynthesis, DNA replication, plant hormone signal transduction, and biosynthesis. Taken together, our results suggest that glycinebetaine promotes tomato fruit development via multiple pathways. We propose that genetic engineering of glycinebetaine synthesis offers a novel approach to enhance the productivity of tomato and other crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of fruits is an important step in the life cycle of flowering plants. The process of fruit development is highly regulated and involves the interaction of a complex regulatory network of genes in both space and time. To identify regulatory genes involved in fruit initiation in tomato we analyzed the transcriptomic profile of ovaries from the parthenocarpic PsEND1:barnase transgenic line. This line was generated using the cytotoxic gene barnase targeted to the anthers with the PsEND1 anther-specific promoter from pea. Among the differentially expressed genes we identified SlDOF10 , a gene coding a DNA-binding with one finger (DOF) transcription factor which is activated in unpollinated ovaries of the parthenocarpic plants. SlDOF10 is preferentially expressed in the vasculature of the cotyledons and young leaves and in the root tip. During floral development, expression is visible in the vascular tissue of the sepals, the flower pedicel and in the ovary connecting the placenta with the developing ovules. The induction of the gene was observed in response to exogenous gibberellins and auxins treatments. To evaluate the gene function during reproductive development, we have generated SlDOF10 overexpressing and silencing stable transgenic lines. In particular, down-regulation of SlDOF10 activity led to a decrease in the area occupied by individual vascular bundles in the flower pedicel. Associated with this phenotype we observed induction of parthenocarpic fruit set. In summary, expression and functional analyses revealed a role for SlDOF10 gene in the development of the vascular tissue specifically during reproductive development highlighting the importance of this tissue in the process of fruit set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleotide binding site leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins of the plant innate immune system are negatively regulated by the miR482/2118 family miRNAs that are in a distinct 22-nt class of miRNAs with a double mode of action. First, they cleave the target RNA, as with the canonical 21-nt miRNAs, and second, they trigger secondary siRNA production using the target RNA as a template. Here, we address the extent to which the miR482/2118 family affects expression of NLR mRNAs and disease resistance. We show that structural differences of miR482/2118 family members in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are functionally significant. The predicted target of the miR482 subfamily is a conserved motif in multiple NLR mRNAs, whereas for miR2118b, it is a noncoding RNA target formed by rearrangement of several different NLR genes. From RNA sequencing and degradome data in lines expressing short tandem target mimic (STTM) RNAs of miR482/2118, we confirm the different targets of these miRNAs. The effect on NLR mRNA accumulation is slight, but nevertheless, the tomato STTM lines display enhanced resistance to infection with the oomycete and bacterial pathogens. These data implicate an RNA cascade of miRNAs and secondary siRNAs in the regulation of NLR RNAs and show that the encoded NLR proteins have a role in quantitative disease resistance in addition to dominant gene resistance that has been well characterized elsewhere. We also illustrate the use of STTM RNA in a biotechnological approach for enhancing quantitative disease resistance in highly bred cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The transcriptomic profile in the leaves of miR482b-overexpressing tomato plants revealed that miR482b may suppress alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, plant-pathogen interaction, and the MAPK pathway to reduce resistance to Phytophthora infestans.Abstract: Our previous study showed that tomato miR482b acted as a negative regulator during tomato resistance to Phytophthora infestans by silencing NBS-LRR genes. To investigate pathways related to miR482b, the transcriptomic profile of tomato plants that overexpressed miR482b was constructed. A total of 47,124,670 raw sequence reads from the leaves of miR482b-overexpressing tomato plants were generated by Illumina sequencing. A total of 746 genes in miR482b-overexpressing tomato plants were found to show significantly differential expression relative to those in wild-type tomato plants, including 132 up-regulated genes and 614 down-regulated genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that plant-pathogen interaction, the MAPK pathway, and the pathways related to JA and ET biosynthesis were affected by miR482b in tomato. qRT-PCR results showed that all the enriched genes in these pathways were down-regulated in tomato plants that overexpressed miR482b and up-regulated in tomato plants that overexpressed an NBS-LRR gene (Soly02g036270.2, the target gene of miR482b). After P. infestans infection, the expression of the enriched genes showed a time-dependent response, and the genes played different roles between resistant tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium L3708) and tomato susceptible to P. infestans (S. lycopersicum Zaofen No. 2). Our results have, therefore, demonstrated that miR482b is an important component of defense response network. This will also help to identify candidate genes involved in plant-pathogen interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Differential responses between root-to-shoot following reductions in gibberellins (GA) were observed. • GA reductions effected more shoot than roots metabolism in tomato plants. • Our results suggest that GAs plays a more direct role in plant metabolism than previously thought. • Manipulations in the biosynthetic pathways of GAs could potentially increase plant fitness and stress tolerance. Abstract The ability to adapt to the environment is crucial for plant survival and thus a refined communication system capable of integrating endogenous and exogenous signals and further relaying this information to different parts of the plant is a key component of such adaptability. Given that they grow in highly distinct environments it is arguably unsurprising that roots and shoots display different responses to a given environmental condition. Accordingly, a higher sensitivity of roots to gibberellins (GAs) allows rapid adjustments in growth and development possibly triggering (a) stress tolerance mechanism(s). Here we investigated the differential metabolic responses between root and shoot following reductions of the endogenous GA content using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants deficient in GA biosynthesis (gib3 , moderately deficient, gib2 , intermediate deficiency and gib1 , extremely deficient in GAs). GA depletion impedes shoot growth to a greater extent than root growth in all mutants. Moreover, the greater the reduction in GA content the greater the extent of a disturbance at the metabolic level. Low leaf carbohydrate contents were observed in plants displaying higher root growth, suggesting an enhanced flow of photoassimilate to support root growth. Large increases in amino acids contents of either roots or shoot were observed. The increased amino acid content was coupled to reduced levels of TCA cycle intermediates suggesting that these changes are directly linked to early reactions of nitrogen assimilation. The combined data are discussed in terms of our current understanding of the interaction between GA and primary metabolism and their crosstalk in environmental responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The tomato PROCERA gene encodes a DELLA protein, and loss‐of‐function mutations derepress growth. We used CRISPR/Cas9 and a single guide RNAs (sgRNA) to target mutations to the PROCERADELLA domain, and recovered several loss‐of‐function mutations and a dominant dwarf mutation that carries a deletion of one amino acid in the DELLA domain. This is the first report of a dominant dwarf PROCERA allele. This allele retains partial responsiveness to exogenously applied gibberellin. Heterozygotes show an intermediate phenotype at the seedling stage, but adult heterozygotes are as dwarfed as homozygotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Carotenoids are critically important to plants and humans. The ORANGE (OR) gene is a key regulator for carotenoid accumulation, but its physiological roles in crops remain elusive. In this study, we generated transgenic tomato ectopically overexpressing the Arabidopsis wild‐type OR (AtORWT) and a 'golden SNP'‐containing OR (AtORHis). We found that AtORHis initiated chromoplast formation in very young fruit and stimulated carotenoid accumulation at all fruit developmental stages, uncoupled from other ripening activities. The elevated levels of carotenoids in the AtOR lines were distributed in the same subplastidial fractions as in wild‐type tomato, indicating an adaptive response of plastids to sequester the increased carotenoids. Microscopic analysis revealed that the plastid sizes were increased in both AtORWT and AtORHis lines at early fruit developmental stages. Moreover, AtOR overexpression promoted early flowering, fruit set and seed production. Ethylene production and the expression of ripening‐associated genes were also significantly increased in the AtOR transgenic fruit at ripening stages. RNA‐Seq transcriptomic profiling highlighted the primary effects of OR overexpression on the genes in the processes related to RNA, protein and signalling in tomato fruit. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of OR in mediating carotenoid accumulation in plants and suggest additional roles of OR in affecting plastid size as well as flower and fruit development, thus making OR a target gene not only for nutritional biofortification of agricultural products but also for alteration of horticultural traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), which is used for both processing and fresh markets, is a major crop species that is the top ranked vegetable produced over the world. Tomato is also a model species for research in genetics, fruit development and disease resistance. Genetic resources available in public repositories comprise the 12 wild related species and thousands of landraces, modern cultivars and mutants. In addition, high quality genome sequences are available for cultivated tomato and for several wild relatives, hundreds of accessions have been sequenced, and databases gathering sequence data together with genetic and phenotypic data are accessible to the tomato community. Major breeding goals are productivity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and fruit sensorial and nutritional quality. New traits, including resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses and root architecture, are increasingly being studied. Several major mutations and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying traits of interest in tomato have been uncovered to date and, thanks to new populations and advances in sequencing technologies, the pace of trait discovery has considerably accelerated. In recent years, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing (GE) already proved its remarkable efficiency in tomato for engineering favorable alleles and for creating new genetic diversity by gene disruption, gene replacement, and precise base editing. Here, we provide insight into the major tomato traits and underlying causal genetic variations discovered so far and review the existing genetic resources and most recent strategies for trait discovery in tomato. Furthermore, we explore the opportunities offered by CRISPR/Cas9 and their exploitation for trait editing in tomato. Significance Statement: The pace of trait discovery in tomato has considerably accelerated in recent years thanks to advances in deep sequencing and other 'omics technologies. Here we review the genetic resources and current powerful forward genetic strategies, allowing discovery of QTLs, genes and mutations underlying remarkable traits in tomato. We also show how CRISPR/Cas9 GE now provides unprecedented opportunities for candidate gene validation, creation of new genetic diversity and breeding of improved tomato varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Fruit quality formation involves a series of physiological and biochemical changes during fruit ripening. Sucrose metabolism plays not only important roles in fruit ripening to establish energy status and nutritional quality but also a non-nutritive role in gene expression. In carbon metabolism and fruit ripening, cell wall invertases (CWINs) perform essential regulatory functions. Knowledge regarding the gene expression changes that occur following the repression of CWIN activity in fruit through the overexpression of a cell-wall inhibitor of β-fructosidase (CIF) under a fruit-specific promoter is limited. To further explore the molecular mechanism of sucrose regulation, global expression profiling of the fruits of transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants carrying a cell wall invertase inhibitor (SlCIF1) gene was performed using a microarray. In total, 622 and 833 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The expression of the SlHSP17. 7 gene was increased by thousands of times in the transgenic- SlCIF1 tomato. Then, SlHSP17.7-RNA interference (RNAi) lines were generated by introducing pB7GWIWG2 (I)-SlHSP17.7 into wild-type chmielewskii tomatoes (WT). The sucrose and fructose contents significantly decreased in the RNAi fruits compared with those in the WT. Furthermore, 14 sugar metabolism related genes were also decreased synergistically by silencing SlHSP17. 7 gene. Our data indicate that the posttranslational modulation of CWIN activity by SlCIF1 contributes to earlier bloom times. SlHSP17. 7 and sugar can interact to regulate the development of tomato fruit and affect the quality of tomato, providing a different insight into improving the quality of tomato. Highlights • Differentially expressed genes were identified in transgenic- SlCIF1 by microarray. • The expression of SlHSP17. 7 gene was significantly increased in the transgenic- SlCIF1 tomato. • SlHSP17.7 regulates the pathway of sugar metabolism in SlHSP17.7-RNAi tomato. • A sophisticated regulatory model including SlCIF1 and SlHSP17.7 was set up involved in the pathway of sugar metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Members of the LEUNIG gene family have recently emerged as key players in gene repression, affecting several developmental mechanisms in plants, especially flower development. LEUNIG proteins function via recruiting adaptor SEUSS proteins. Nevertheless, no systematic studies on the LEUNIG and SEUSS gene families have been undertaken in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum , a fleshy fruit-bearing model plant, belonging to the Solanaceae family). Here, we present the results of a genome-wide analysis of tomato LEUNIG and SEUSS genes. In our study, we identified three SlLUG and four SlSEU genes. All three SlLUG full-length proteins contained the LEUNIG canonical domains (LUFS and two WD40 repeats), and the four full-length SlSEU genes contained the Lim-binding domain. All the members of the SlLUG and SlSEU family proteins were localized to the nucleus. All the SlSEU and SlLUG genes were detected in the tomato tissues tested. Expression analysis showed that the SlLUGs and SlSEUs exhibited tissue-specific expression, and that they responded to exogenous plant hormone and stress treatment. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that only SlLUGs, but not SlSEUs, interacted with SlYABBY. Only a weak interaction between SlLUG1 and SlSEU3 was observed among all the SlLUG and SlSEU proteins. Taken together, these findings may help elucidate the roles played by SlLUG and SlSEU family members in plant growth and development. Highlights • 3 SlLUGs and 4 SlSEUs genes have been identified in the tomato genome. • SlLUGs/SlSEUs genes preferentially expressed in sepal and anther. • Expression level of SlLUGs/SlSEUs genes was affected by hormone treatment. • There is weak interaction between SlLUG1 and SlSEU3. • Only SlLUGs could interact with SlYABBY transcription factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of hypoxia on the antioxidant system during the storage of tomato fruits was investigated using plants with different expression levels of the encoding gene for the MT-sHSP23.6 protein. Fruits from two 'Micro-Tom' tomato plant genotypes (wild type and high expression of MT-sHSP23.6) were harvested at the breaker stage and subjected to normoxia (23 °C, dark) and hypoxia (daily nitrogen flow of 0.098 Mpa/10 min, 23 °C, darkness) treatments for 5 and 8 days, respectively. We evaluated the color tone (Hueº) of the fruits, as well as the components of the enzymatic antioxidant system, reactive oxygen species, non-enzymatic antioxidant system components and radical scavenging activity. Fruits from plants with high MT-sHSP23.6 expression had the highest activity for all the antioxidant enzymes under hypoxia conditions (25, 20, 76, and 48% higher than wild type for SOD, CAT, APX, and GPOD, respectively). They also had the lowest concentrations of superoxide anion under both normoxia and hypoxia storage. At the end of the normoxia storage period, the genotype with high MT-sHSP23.6 expression had the highest accumulation of lycopene (13%), whereas at the end of hypoxia storage, the wild type genotype had the highest lycopene accumulation (39%). Higher accumulation of phenolic compounds was observed in the post-hypoxia period for plants subjected to the hypoxia treatment in high MT-sHSP23.6 expression genotype (12% on the fourth day and 9% on the eighth day). In addition, ascorbic acid concentration was considerably higher on the third and fourth storage days (47% and 8%, respectively). During the hypoxia period, the genotype with high MT-sHSP23.6 expression exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity. High MT-sHSP23.6 expression stimulated the enzymatic antioxidant system during the hypoxia period and led to higher accumulation of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid, evidence that this protein may be related to tolerance mechanisms in plants subjected to post-harvest abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract FK506-protein also called FKBP protein belongs to PPIase (peptidylprolylcis-trans isomerase) super family of immune suppressive drugs that act as molecular protein chaperones. In plants, FKBPs are ubiquitous and involved in various biological and physiological processes like plant germination, development, stress response and hormonal signaling. Here, we identified 24 FKBP family genes in tomato by using different tools and bioinformatic approaches. The specific structure, domain organisation, cis-regulatory elements, phylogenetic analysis, multiple sequence alignment, tissue-specific expression patterns and expression under abiotic and phytohormone stresses of all genes were investigated. The genes are clustered on ten tomato chromosomes and are categorised into two sub-classes; single and multiple domains protein gene. One of the main features of tomato FKBPs is their large fractions localized in chloroplast (in silico analysis) and clustered together phylogenetically. Tissue-specific expression analysis using available RNA-seq data revealed the spatiotemporal expression of the FKBPs , but few genes were observed with relatively high expressions in certain developmental stages. However, the quantitative expression profile of all genes under hormone stress provided a supporting evidence for their potential role in hormone signal pathways. Our prediction not only providing the foundation for better understanding the complex physiological regulation of FKBP gene family in tomato but also providing the potential aids to accelerate tolerance and survival in tomato under stressful condition. Highlights • A total of 24 tomato FKBP genes were identified. • Bioinformatics analysis of FKBP gene family in tomato plant • The transcript levels in seedlings revealed that several genes involved in abiotic stress • Expression profiling of 24 candidate tomato FKBP genes in various tissues [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Plant RNA silencing systems are organized as a network, regulating plant developmental pathways and restraining invading viruses, by sharing cellular components with overlapping functions. Host regulatory networks operate either at the transcriptional level via RNA-directed DNA methylation, or at the post-transcriptional stage interfering with mRNA to restrict viral infection. However, viral-derived proteins, including suppressors of RNA silencing, favour virus establishment, and also affect plant developmental processes. In this investigation, we report that Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-derived AC4 protein suppresses RNA silencing activity and mutational analysis of AC4 showed that Asn-50 in the SKNT-51 motif, in the C-terminal region, is a critical determinant of its RNA silencing suppressor activity. AC4 showed interaction with host AGO4 but not with AGO1, aggregated around the nucleus, and influenced cytosine methylation of the viral genome. The possible molecular mechanism by which AC4 interferes in the RNA silencing network, helps virus establishment, and affects plant development is discussed. Highlights • Expression or silencing status of AC4 influences viral DNA cytosine methylation. • AC4 is an RNA silencing suppressor and Asn-50 in the SKNT-51 motif is crucial for suppressor activity. • Interaction with AGO4 and sub-cellular localization imply AC4 regulates PTGS and TGS. • Molecular evidence for the role of AC4 in silencing suppression [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]