PubMed · 2026-05-11
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.
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.
SlγCA2-knockout tomato seeds showed increased ATP levels despite reduced oxygen consumption, suggesting a metabolic compensation mechanism unique to tomato.
Disruption of SlγCA2 altered abscisic acid and gibberellin hormone homeostasis, linking mitochondrial electron transport chain function directly to developmental hormone regulation in tomato.
