Unraveling jasmonic acid-mediated mitigation of 6PPD toxicity in tomato plants using multi-omics approaches

The widespread application of the tire antioxidant N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) has driven the pervasive environmental occurrence of its toxic quinone transformation product, 6PPD-quinone, raising significant ecological concerns and necessitating effective mitigation strategies. However, despite the widespread use of external biomass-based remediation strategies for environmental cleanup, internal physiological mitigation approaches to alleviate 6PPD induced phytotoxicity in plants are still lacking. Herein, we establish a multi-level phytoprotection framework, investigating the protective role of foliar-applied jasmonic acid (JA) against 6PPD toxicity in tomato plants through the integration of physiological assessments, multi omics (transcriptomics and metabolomics) analyses and molecular docking simulation. Physiological results revealed that 6PPD exposure triggered severe oxidative stress, inhibiting plant growth and impairing photosynthetic functions. Exogenous JA application effectively mitigated these adverse effects and restored physiological homeostasis. Integrated omics analyses revealed that JA mediated a comprehensive reprogramming of the plant's metabolic and transcriptional landscape to counteract 6PPD toxicity. Specifically, JA redirected metabolic flux by enhancing carbohydrate metabolism to fuel defense responses, while transcriptionally reallocating resources from growth-related processes toward the activation of specialized metabolic pathways, particularly flavonoid biosynthesis. Molecular docking further demonstrated that JA possessed a high binding affinity for key enzymes (e.g., chalcone synthase) in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, providing a mechanistic basis for its regulatory role. These findings highlight a promising internal defense strategy, warranting further validation under field conditions and across a broader range of crops and organic contaminants.