Work

Dissecting the physiology of wild tomatoes under abiotic stress: Dynamic photosynthesis and metabolic adaptations to combined drought and salinity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is widely cultivated in open fields, being increasingly threatened by environmental constraints like drought and salinity, which disrupt water and nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, redox balance and growth. We examined how the wild relatives Solanum habrochaites LA1223 and Solanum galapagense LA1403 accessions respond to single and combined drought and salinity, in comparison to a modern cultivar. Growth, pigment content, dynamic photosynthesis, primary metabolism, and profiles of amino acids, polyamines, and phytohormones were evaluated to assess their natural resilience relative to the cultivated tomato. Wild tomato species sustained growth better under stress, with an enhanced nitrogen metabolism and osmotic adjustment. In particular, S. habrochaites exhibited higher pigment levels, superior photosynthetic performance, coupled with a rapid stomatal regulation, alongside the accumulation of osmoprotectants such as proline and sugars, leading to improved water use efficiency, likely mediated by salicylic acid. In contrast, S. galapagense showed a more conservative stomatal behavior and constitutively higher leaf spermine and root amino acid contents, being able to maintain biomass production and photosynthesis under water stress. Our results show that, despite their slower growth, wild tomato species display distinct and finely tuned physiological responses to abiotic stress, outperforming a commercial tomato cultivar. These findings emphasize wild species as valuable genetic resources for improving stress tolerance in cultivated tomato. • Wild tomato species outperform cultivated tomato under drought and salinity stress • S. habrochaites shows better photosynthetic performance and efficient water use • S. galapagense maintains biomass under drought with conservative stomatal behaviour • Wild tomato species show efficient nitrogen assimilation and osmotic adjustment • Wild tomato species provide genetic resources to improve crops’ stress-tolerance

Source: Journal of Plant Physiology

DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154664