A tomato telomere-to-telomere super-pangenome empowers stress resilience breeding.
Shi C, Chen S, Wang J, Chen W, Sun C
Crop Improvement
Tomatoes you buy at the grocery store have lost much of their natural toughness over decades of breeding for looks and shelf life, and this research gives plant breeders a roadmap to bring that resilience back without sacrificing flavor or yield.
Researchers created a massive genetic library by mapping the complete DNA of 16 different tomato species, including many wild relatives that farmers never grow but that are naturally tough. Hidden inside those wild plants are genes that help tomatoes survive salty soils and resist fungal diseases like gray mold. By cataloging all these genetic differences, scientists now have a detailed guide for breeding stronger tomatoes that can handle a changing, more stressful world.
Key Findings
A super-pangenome was built from 47 total genomes spanning 16 tomato species, the largest and most complete tomato genetic resource ever assembled.
Researchers identified key genetic markers linked to salt resistance, which could help breed tomatoes that grow in degraded or coastal soils.
A specific gene called SlGMAK was discovered that gives tomatoes resistance to gray mold, a fungal disease that causes major crop losses worldwide.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists built the most complete genetic map ever created for tomatoes, combining DNA from 16 wild and cultivated species to find genes that help tomatoes resist disease, salt, and other stresses — opening the door to hardier, more resilient crops.
Abstract Preview
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), one of the world's most valuable vegetable crops, has suffered from diminished genetic diversity and stress resistance. Wild tomatoes serve as an invaluable genetic r...
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The tomato is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from western South America, and may have been domesticated there, in Mexico, or in Central America. Th...