Multi-omics-based insights into tomato adaptation to multifactorial stress combination

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Multifactorial stress combination (MFSC) significantly impacts crop productivity, especially under climate change.
• While physiological responses to MFSC are known, molecular and metabolic effects are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular and metabolic responses of tomato plants to MFSC using an integrative multi-omics approach.
• To identify key genes, transcription factors, and metabolic pathways involved in plant adaptation to complex stress conditions.

Main Methods:

• Integrative multi-omics analysis (transcriptomics and metabolomics) of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants under varying MFSC.
• Comparative analysis across multiple plant species (tomato, Arabidopsis, Chlamydomonas, rice, soybean).
• Integrated omics correlation analysis to link molecular and metabolic data.

Main Results:

• Discovered a complexity-dependent molecular program in tomato, with core transcripts and specific transcription factors regulated by high-complexity stress.
• Identified unique transcripts and potential master regulator TFs for heat-associated MFSC.
• Metabolomic profiling showed reprogramming of primary metabolism, favoring osmoprotection and redox homeostasis.
• Revealed a conserved molecular signature for MFSC across different plant species.

Conclusions:

• Tomato exhibits a coordinated, complexity-dependent molecular response to MFSC.
• Identified candidate regulatory and metabolic markers for developing climate-resilient crops.
• Insights into plant adaptation mechanisms under combined abiotic stresses are provided.