Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i>
Salinity negatively affects flower production and fertility in tomato but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. One hypothesis is that salinity affects sugar partitioning by reducing photosynthesis, which in turn affects source–sink relationships and hence the development of reproducti...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/285 |
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| author | Servane Bigot Juan Pablo Martínez Stanley Lutts Muriel Quinet |
| author_facet | Servane Bigot Juan Pablo Martínez Stanley Lutts Muriel Quinet |
| author_sort | Servane Bigot |
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| description | Salinity negatively affects flower production and fertility in tomato but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. One hypothesis is that salinity affects sugar partitioning by reducing photosynthesis, which in turn affects source–sink relationships and hence the development of reproductive structures. This study investigates how salt stress alters sugar composition in leaves, flowers, and phloem sap of <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and its halophyte relative <i>Solanum chilense</i>, and how this may explain the effects on flower production and fertility. Salt stress increased flower abortion and reduced sepal length in <i>S. lycopersicum</i>, while decreasing pollen grain number in <i>S. chilense</i>. Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency was also reduced in <i>S. lycopersicum.</i> Salinity raised myo-inositol and sucrose concentrations in <i>S. lycopersicum</i> leaves but only slightly altered sugar concentrations in flowers. The concentration of sucrose in the foliar exudates was higher in <i>S. chilense</i> as compared to <i>S. lycopersicum</i>, suggesting a higher export of sucrose from the leaves. These findings suggest that <i>S. lycopersicum</i> maintains better metabolic function under salt stress, while <i>S. chilense</i> sustains sugar import to sink organs. Correlations between reproductive traits and sugar dynamics indicate that sugar distribution contributes to reproductive development under salinity stress. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8a4e47c80f884cbda5d8f78695f1a1ba |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-8a4e47c80f884cbda5d8f78695f1a1ba2025-08-20T02:42:31ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-03-0111328510.3390/horticulturae11030285Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i>Servane Bigot0Juan Pablo Martínez1Stanley Lutts2Muriel Quinet3Groupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute—Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 5 (Bte L7.07.13), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumInstituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA—Rayentué), Av. Salamanca s/n, Sector Los Choapinos, Rengo 2540004, ChileGroupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute—Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 5 (Bte L7.07.13), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumGroupe de Recherche en Physiologie Végétale (GRPV), Earth and Life Institute—Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 5 (Bte L7.07.13), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSalinity negatively affects flower production and fertility in tomato but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. One hypothesis is that salinity affects sugar partitioning by reducing photosynthesis, which in turn affects source–sink relationships and hence the development of reproductive structures. This study investigates how salt stress alters sugar composition in leaves, flowers, and phloem sap of <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and its halophyte relative <i>Solanum chilense</i>, and how this may explain the effects on flower production and fertility. Salt stress increased flower abortion and reduced sepal length in <i>S. lycopersicum</i>, while decreasing pollen grain number in <i>S. chilense</i>. Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency was also reduced in <i>S. lycopersicum.</i> Salinity raised myo-inositol and sucrose concentrations in <i>S. lycopersicum</i> leaves but only slightly altered sugar concentrations in flowers. The concentration of sucrose in the foliar exudates was higher in <i>S. chilense</i> as compared to <i>S. lycopersicum</i>, suggesting a higher export of sucrose from the leaves. These findings suggest that <i>S. lycopersicum</i> maintains better metabolic function under salt stress, while <i>S. chilense</i> sustains sugar import to sink organs. Correlations between reproductive traits and sugar dynamics indicate that sugar distribution contributes to reproductive development under salinity stress.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/285salt stresstomatosugar partitioningsource–sink relationshipflower fertilityreproductive structures |
| spellingShingle | Servane Bigot Juan Pablo Martínez Stanley Lutts Muriel Quinet Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> Horticulturae salt stress tomato sugar partitioning source–sink relationship flower fertility reproductive structures |
| title | Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> |
| title_full | Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> |
| title_short | Impact of Salinity on Sugar Composition and Partitioning in Relation to Flower Fertility in <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> and <i>Solanum chilense</i> |
| title_sort | impact of salinity on sugar composition and partitioning in relation to flower fertility in i solanum lycopersicum i and i solanum chilense i |
| topic | salt stress tomato sugar partitioning source–sink relationship flower fertility reproductive structures |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/3/285 |
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