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Horticulturae
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Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato
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Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato

A Special Issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524) belonging to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 February 2027 | Viewed by 6358

Editors

Prof. Dr. Jinhua Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: genetic engineering for the abiotic stress improvement of vegetables
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guobin Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: tomato; stress responses; ubiquitin; asmonic acid

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tomato is a crucial vegetable crop that plays a significant role in the global vegetable industry. It originated from the arid regions of the Andes in South America, and wild tomato varieties possess excellent drought resistance. Nevertheless, due to domestication and natural variation, the majority of cultivated tomato varieties are sensitive to drought. The growth and development of plants are frequently influenced by the external environment, and within this which abiotic stresses (including drought, high temperature, low temperature, high salinity, heavy metals, etc.) are important factors determining the distribution and growth of plants. Abiotic stresses restrict the utilization of arable land globally and exert a substantial negative impact on crop yields. Meanwhile, the effects of various abiotic stresses on plants are interrelated. High temperature accelerates the evaporation of water vapor, which notably exacerbates the drought condition, and long-term drought increases the accumulation of salt in the soil, leading to high salt stress. In the history of crop breeding, conventional techniques such as hybridization, backcrossing, artificial mutagenesis, pedigree selection, and recurrent selection have made important contributions to the genetic improvement of drought resistance. Conventional breeding primarily relies on phenotypic selection in the field, yet it is significantly affected by environmental conditions and necessitates years of identification and evaluation, resulting in high labor intensity, long time consumption, and low efficiency. To expedite breeding for resistance to abiotic stress, it is essential to explore drought-resistance genes and their molecular mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Jinhua Li
Dr. Guobin Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tomato
  • abiotic stress
  • drought stress
  • salt stress
  • molecular breeding
  • molecular mechanisms

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 13870 KB  
Article
Micro–Nano Bubbles Alleviate Osmotic Stress in Tomato by Modulating Root Water Transport-Related Gene Expression and Hormonal Balance
by Honghao Zeng, Kexin Zheng, Renyuan Liu, Zhenai Liu, Jinhua Li, Yu Pan, Nan Hu, Lianhua Li, Qiang Jiang and Chunyu Shang
Horticulturae 2026, 12(7), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070774 - 24 Jun 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 786
Abstract
Osmotic stress severely limits the growth and development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by reducing cellular water potential, disrupting redox homeostasis, and impairing physiological functions. Micro–nano bubble (MNB) treatment can increase dissolved oxygen in the root-zone solution and improve the root-zone environment, [...] Read more.
Osmotic stress severely limits the growth and development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by reducing cellular water potential, disrupting redox homeostasis, and impairing physiological functions. Micro–nano bubble (MNB) treatment can increase dissolved oxygen in the root-zone solution and improve the root-zone environment, which may benefit root metabolic activity and stress adaptation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not elucidated. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of how MNB-mediated root oxygenation alleviates osmotic stress in tomato, we have integrated the physiological and biochemical alterations, variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM), and transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) under osmotic stress. The results revealed that MNBs significantly reduced PEG-induced wilting and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and relative electrical conductivity (REC). Indeed, MNBs also markedly upregulated the expression of root aquaporins PIP2.7 and PIP2.4, suppressed the expression of NCED1 in leaves, and increased levels of endogenous growth-promoting hormones, including IAA and GA3, under osmotic stress. VP-SEM observations showed that MNB-treated plants exhibited a relatively more open stomatal appearance compared with PEG-treated plants. Together, these findings suggest that MNBs mitigate PEG-induced osmotic stress in tomato, potentially by improving the root-zone aeration environment and coordinating water transport-related gene expression, antioxidant defense, and hormonal balance. These results provide a promising physical approach and theoretical basis for improving tomato stress tolerance under osmotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato)
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20 pages, 2183 KB  
Article
Trade-Off Between Fruit Yield and Antioxidant Accumulation in Physalis peruviana L. Under Different Water Availability Regimes
by Caroline P. Cardoso, Gabriel M. Napoleão, Fernanda N. Vargens, Larissa S. Rodrigues, Priscila Pegorin, Luisa S. Gonçalves, Lucas Felipe dos Ouros, Sarita Leonel and Carmen S. F. Boaro
Horticulturae 2026, 12(5), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12050517 - 23 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Physalis peruviana L., a South American species, has been increasingly cultivated because of its bioactive compounds and high commercial value. This study evaluated the biochemical responses and fruit quality of physalis plants subjected to different water availability regimes (40%, 70%, and 100% of [...] Read more.
Physalis peruviana L., a South American species, has been increasingly cultivated because of its bioactive compounds and high commercial value. This study evaluated the biochemical responses and fruit quality of physalis plants subjected to different water availability regimes (40%, 70%, and 100% of field capacity), followed by recovery periods. The experiment was conducted at São Paulo State University in a randomized block design with split plots. Plants were exposed to different irrigation regimes and subsequently rewatered over a 120-day period. Leaf and fruit analyses showed that water stress at 40% field capacity significantly increased both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels, thereby mitigating oxidative damage, as indicated by lower lipid peroxidation and reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation. However, this defense response was accompanied by marked reductions in fruit yield, fruit number, fresh mass, and fruit quality. Notably, although rewatering reversed several biochemical stress markers at the leaf level, fruit yield and commercial quality did not recover, suggesting irreversible damage to reproductive development during the stress period. These findings indicate that controlled water deficit may enhance antioxidant accumulation, highlighting the potential of stressed plants for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical applications. However, prolonged water stress, even when followed by a recovery period, impairs commercial fruit production. Therefore, irrigation management should be aligned with the intended production objective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato)
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14 pages, 2992 KB  
Article
SlFBX38, an F-Box Protein, Enhances Thermotolerance in Tomato
by Yuanyuan Lei, Siyue Meng, Mingshu Chen, Jiale Deng, Weijian Li, Shanling Wang, Ludan Liang, Honghong Chen, Jingtao Hu, Yu Pan and Dan Du
Horticulturae 2026, 12(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12030343 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1070
Abstract
Heat stress, intensified by global warming, poses a great threat to plant growth and crop production. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress response (HSR) remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized SlFBX38, an F-box gene in tomato. SlFBX38 [...] Read more.
Heat stress, intensified by global warming, poses a great threat to plant growth and crop production. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress response (HSR) remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized SlFBX38, an F-box gene in tomato. SlFBX38 was predominantly expressed in leaves and fruits, and its expression levels were induced by heat stress and various phytohormones, including ABA, JA and SA. Subcellular location analysis revealed that SlFBX38 resides in both the nucleus and cytoplasm in N. benthamiana leaf cells, but it displays no transcriptional activity. Overexpression of SlFBX38 (OE) lines conferred enhanced heat stress tolerance, as evidenced by improved photosynthetic efficiency, elevated accumulation of ascorbic acid (AsA), stronger protective enzyme activities, and upregulation of HSR-related genes in SlFBX38-OE lines under heat stress condition. To identify potential interacting proteins, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) library screening and further Y2H verification indicate that SlFBX38 may interact with SlbHLH058. Collectively, these findings establish SlFBX38 as a positive regulator of thermotolerance in tomato and provide a basis for further mechanistic studies of its role in HSR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato)
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Review

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22 pages, 6072 KB  
Review
Recent Advances on the Function and Mechanism of Tomato WRKY Family Genes Under Salt Stress
by Xianjue Ruan, Rongjin Ma, Chunyu Shang, Qingyuan Li, Yu Pan and Xin Hu
Horticulturae 2026, 12(4), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040458 - 8 Apr 2026
Viewed by 2220
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a widely consumed vegetable crop and an established model system for plant functional genomics and genetic research in dicotyledons. Salt stress is a major abiotic factor limiting tomato productivity worldwide. The WRKY transcription factor family, one of [...] Read more.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a widely consumed vegetable crop and an established model system for plant functional genomics and genetic research in dicotyledons. Salt stress is a major abiotic factor limiting tomato productivity worldwide. The WRKY transcription factor family, one of the largest and most conserved plant-specific transcription factor families, plays pivotal roles in stress responses. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the functions of tomato WRKY genes under salt stress, focusing on the genomic basis and evolutionary characteristics of the WRKY family, the roles of core WRKY members under salt stress, and the multi-layered regulatory networks mediating WRKY-dependent salt and alkali tolerance. To date, approximately 10 core SlWRKY genes have been functionally validated to regulate tomato salt tolerance, mainly by maintaining ion homeostasis, regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance, facilitating osmotic adjustment, and integrating hormone signaling pathways. Despite this progress, systemic regulatory hierarchies and epigenetic modulation remain poorly resolved. Furthermore, we discuss how specific WRKY members directly regulate downstream effector genes, such as SlSOS1 and SlNHX4. However, direct experimental evidence for the coordination between tomato WRKYs and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, as well as epigenetic modifiers under salt stress, is still scarce in current studies. This review provides a theoretical framework and outlines potential technical pathways for translating fundamental insights into tomato salt tolerance into practical applications for sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato)
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