Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants

Plants are continuously exposed to multiple environmental stressors throughout their lifecycle. Understanding their integrated physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses under combined stress conditions is crucial for developing effective approaches to improve stress tolerance and maintain...

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Main Authors: Ariana Bertola Carnevale, Alan Carlos da Costa, Emily Carolina Duarte Santos, Adinan Alves da Silva, Priscila Ferreira Batista, Fábia Barbosa da Silva, Luciana Minervina de Freitas Moura, Caroline Müller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/14/1518
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author Ariana Bertola Carnevale
Alan Carlos da Costa
Emily Carolina Duarte Santos
Adinan Alves da Silva
Priscila Ferreira Batista
Fábia Barbosa da Silva
Luciana Minervina de Freitas Moura
Caroline Müller
author_facet Ariana Bertola Carnevale
Alan Carlos da Costa
Emily Carolina Duarte Santos
Adinan Alves da Silva
Priscila Ferreira Batista
Fábia Barbosa da Silva
Luciana Minervina de Freitas Moura
Caroline Müller
author_sort Ariana Bertola Carnevale
collection DOAJ
description Plants are continuously exposed to multiple environmental stressors throughout their lifecycle. Understanding their integrated physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses under combined stress conditions is crucial for developing effective approaches to improve stress tolerance and maintain crop productivity. This study aimed to investigate the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical changes in photomorphogenic Micro-Tom plants exposed to high irradiance and water deficit—an abiotic stress combination that commonly co-occurs in natural environments but remains poorly understood in light-sensitive genotypes. We hypothesized that the <i>high pigment 1</i> (<i>hp1</i>) mutant, due to its enhanced light responsiveness, would display improved stress acclimation compared to the wild-type when exposed to combined stress factors. This study was conducted in a controlled plant growth chamber, using a randomized block design with five replicates. Two Micro-Tom genotypes (<i>wt</i> and <i>hp1</i>) were exposed to control (soil at field capacity (FC) + 450 μmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> PPFD) and combined stress (40% FC + 1800 μmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> PPFD) conditions. Despite the higher concentration of chloroplast pigments in <i>hp1</i>, its photosynthetic performance under combined stress was not significantly improved, and its defense mechanisms did not effectively mitigate the stress impacts. Anatomically, <i>wt</i> exhibited greater structural adjustment, observed by adaptations in the spongy parenchyma and mesophyll. Overall, the <i>wt</i> genotype showed stronger defense mechanisms, while <i>hp1</i> was more susceptible to combined abiotic stress.
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spelling doaj-art-77ee5ebc135b4ae9b1f534f5d127f7f52025-08-20T03:36:13ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-07-011514151810.3390/agriculture15141518Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom PlantsAriana Bertola Carnevale0Alan Carlos da Costa1Emily Carolina Duarte Santos2Adinan Alves da Silva3Priscila Ferreira Batista4Fábia Barbosa da Silva5Luciana Minervina de Freitas Moura6Caroline Müller7Centro Universitário de Mineiros (UNIFIMES), Mineiros 75833-130, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecofisiologia e Produtividade Vegetal, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecofisiologia e Produtividade Vegetal, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilCentro de Excelência em Agricultura Exponencial (CEAGRE), Rio Verde 75905-360, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecofisiologia e Produtividade Vegetal, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Estudos Avançados em Agricultura Vertical, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecofisiologia e Produtividade Vegetal, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecofisiologia e Produtividade Vegetal, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano (IFGoiano), Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, BrazilPlants are continuously exposed to multiple environmental stressors throughout their lifecycle. Understanding their integrated physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses under combined stress conditions is crucial for developing effective approaches to improve stress tolerance and maintain crop productivity. This study aimed to investigate the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical changes in photomorphogenic Micro-Tom plants exposed to high irradiance and water deficit—an abiotic stress combination that commonly co-occurs in natural environments but remains poorly understood in light-sensitive genotypes. We hypothesized that the <i>high pigment 1</i> (<i>hp1</i>) mutant, due to its enhanced light responsiveness, would display improved stress acclimation compared to the wild-type when exposed to combined stress factors. This study was conducted in a controlled plant growth chamber, using a randomized block design with five replicates. Two Micro-Tom genotypes (<i>wt</i> and <i>hp1</i>) were exposed to control (soil at field capacity (FC) + 450 μmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> PPFD) and combined stress (40% FC + 1800 μmol m<sup>−2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> PPFD) conditions. Despite the higher concentration of chloroplast pigments in <i>hp1</i>, its photosynthetic performance under combined stress was not significantly improved, and its defense mechanisms did not effectively mitigate the stress impacts. Anatomically, <i>wt</i> exhibited greater structural adjustment, observed by adaptations in the spongy parenchyma and mesophyll. Overall, the <i>wt</i> genotype showed stronger defense mechanisms, while <i>hp1</i> was more susceptible to combined abiotic stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/14/1518<i>high pigment 1</i> mutantphotomorphogenic micro-tomatoabiotic stress
spellingShingle Ariana Bertola Carnevale
Alan Carlos da Costa
Emily Carolina Duarte Santos
Adinan Alves da Silva
Priscila Ferreira Batista
Fábia Barbosa da Silva
Luciana Minervina de Freitas Moura
Caroline Müller
Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
Agriculture
<i>high pigment 1</i> mutant
photomorphogenic micro-tomato
abiotic stress
title Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
title_full Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
title_fullStr Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
title_full_unstemmed Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
title_short Combined High Irradiance and Water Deficit Alters the Anatomy and Physiology of Photomorphogenic Mutant Micro-Tom Plants
title_sort combined high irradiance and water deficit alters the anatomy and physiology of photomorphogenic mutant micro tom plants
topic <i>high pigment 1</i> mutant
photomorphogenic micro-tomato
abiotic stress
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/14/1518
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