Identification of the Importin β gene family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and functional analysis of SlIMB4 in response to drought stress.
Wang Y, Zhao R, Yin C, Wang P, Xu Y
Crispr
Tomato plants engineered without this gene wilted and struggled under dry conditions, pointing toward a concrete genetic target for breeding drought-hardy tomatoes that hold up during the dry stretches that are becoming more common in home gardens and farms alike.
Inside every plant cell, there are gates controlling what enters and exits the nucleus—the cell's command center. Researchers found a tomato gene that acts as a key gatekeeper during drought, shepherding a stress-response protein into the nucleus so the plant can close its pores and conserve water. When they disabled this gene using a precise gene-editing tool, tomato plants became significantly more vulnerable to drying out.
Key Findings
Researchers identified 19 distinct importin β genes in tomato, organized into 15 subfamilies with uneven distribution across chromosomes.
SlIMB4 was specifically activated by drought and the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA); CRISPR knockout plants showed significantly reduced drought tolerance.
SlIMB4 physically interacts with a drought-signaling protein (SlOST1) and promotes its movement into the nucleus, which triggers stomatal closure to reduce water loss.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists identified 19 genes in tomato that act as molecular transporters moving proteins in and out of the cell nucleus, and found that one of them—SlIMB4—helps tomato plants survive drought by keeping key stress-response proteins where they need to be.
Abstract Preview
The Importin β (IMB) family of karyopherins mediates nucleocytoplasmic transport, a fundamental process governing the exchange of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. While extensively...
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