Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to disable a key mitochondrial gene in tomatoes, discovering that tomato plants respond very differently than the model plant Arabidopsis — showing slower germination, stunted growth, and disrupted hormone levels, revealing that energy production and plant development are more tightly linked than previously thought.
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CRISPR knockout of SlγCA2 in tomato reduced mitochondrial Complex I levels and activity comparably to Arabidopsis mutants, yet caused delayed seed germination and retarded vegetative growth not seen in Arabidopsis.
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SlγCA2-knockout tomato seeds showed increased ATP levels despite reduced oxygen consumption, suggesting a metabolic compensation mechanism unique to tomato.
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Disruption of SlγCA2 altered abscisic acid and gibberellin hormone homeostasis, linking mitochondrial electron transport chain function directly to developmental hormone regulation in tomato.
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