The Mechanism Involved in High-Lycopene Tomato Mutants for Broomrape Resistance

The Mechanism Involved in High-Lycopene Tomato Mutants for Broomrape Resistance

The root parasitic weed <i>Phelipanche aegyptiaca</i> (Pers.) Pomel poses a serious threat to solanaceous crops, leading to yield losses of up to 80% in tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.). Strigolactones (SLs), derived from the carotenoid metabolic pathway, serve as key...

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Main Authors: Lianfeng Shi, Xin Li, Jinrui Bai, Xiaoxiao Lu, Chunyang Pan, Junling Hu, Chen Zhang, Can Zhu, Yanmei Guo, Xiaoxuan Wang, Zejun Huang, Yongchen Du, Lei Liu, Junming Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
tomato
<i>Phelipanche aegyptiaca</i>
high-pigment mutation
β-carotene
strigolactones
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/5/1250
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Summary:The root parasitic weed <i>Phelipanche aegyptiaca</i> (Pers.) Pomel poses a serious threat to solanaceous crops, leading to yield losses of up to 80% in tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.). Strigolactones (SLs), derived from the carotenoid metabolic pathway, serve as key host-recognition signals for root-parasitic plants. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of host resistance, focusing on the suppression of SL biosynthesis through altered carotenoid metabolism in the high-pigment tomato mutants <i>hp-1</i> and <i>og<sup>c</sup></i>. Both pot experiment and in vitro seed germination assays demonstrated that the mutants exhibited reduced susceptibility to <i>P. aegyptiaca</i> and triggered lower germination rates in broomrape seeds compared to the wild-type cultivar AC. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed a significant downregulation of SL biosynthesis genes (<i>SlD27</i>, <i>SlCCD7</i>, <i>SlCCD8</i>, <i>SlMAX1</i>, <i>SlP450</i>, <i>SlDI4</i>) in <i>hp-1</i> at various parasitic stages post-inoculation, with a more pronounced suppression observed in <i>hp-1</i> than in <i>og<sup>c</sup></i>. Notably, the extent of downregulation correlated with the enhanced resistance phenotype in <i>hp-1</i>. These findings highlight a synergistic resistance mechanism involving the coordinated regulation of carotenoid metabolism and SL biosynthesis, providing new insights into the molecular defense network underlying tomato-broomrape interactions.
ISSN:2073-4395

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