Comparison of Tomato Transcriptomic Profiles Reveals Overlapping Patterns in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Tomato crops face numerous biotic and abiotic stresses, often occurring simultaneously.
• Previous research primarily focused on transcriptomic responses to single stress factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify genes involved in tomato's response to multiple biotic and abiotic stressors.
• To compare transcriptomic responses between resistant and susceptible tomato genotypes.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptomic analysis of resistant and susceptible tomato genotypes.
• Exposure to seven biotic stresses (fungal, bacterial, viral, insect) and five abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, low temperature, oxidative stress).

Main Results:

• Identified genes involved in TF, phytohormone signaling, and cell wall metabolism conferring broad stress tolerance.
• Found 1474 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) common to biotic and abiotic stress responses.
• Discovered 67 DEGs responding to at least four different stresses, including RLKs, MAPKs, FLAs, and transcription factors (MYBs, bZIPs, WRKYs, ERFs).

Conclusions:

• Genes responsive to multiple stresses are key targets for enhancing tomato field tolerance.
• Biotechnological strategies can leverage these findings for improved crop resilience.