Plant growth Enhancement in Colchicine-Treated Tomato Seeds without Polyploidy Induction

Abstract

Plant breeding plays a pivotal role in the development of improved tomato cultivars, addressing various challenges faced by this crop worldwide. Tomato crop yield is affected by biotic and abiotic stress, including diverse pathogens and pests, extreme temperatures, drought, and soil salinity, thus affecting fruit quality, and overall crop productivity. Through strategic plant breeding approaches, it is possible to increase the genetic diversity of tomato cultivars, leading to the development of varieties with increased resistance to prevalent diseases and pests, improved tolerance to environmental stress, and enhanced adaptability to changing agroclimatic conditions. The induction of genetic variability using antimitotic agents, such as colchicine, has been widely employed in plant breeding precisely to this end. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of colchicine-treated tomato plants exhibiting larger size, characterized by larger leaves, while seedlings of the T2 generation harbored three cotyledons. A total of 382 differentially expressed genes encoding proteins associated with anatomical structure development, hormone synthesis and transport, flavonoid biosynthesis, and responses to various stimuli, stresses, and defense mechanisms were identified. Gene enrichment analysis suggests a role for auxin and flavonoid biosynthesis in cotyledon formation. Furthermore, single-nucleotide polymorphisms were mapped in colchicine-treated plants and determined which corresponded to differentially- expressed genes. Interestingly, most were associated to only a few genes in a similar location. This study provides significant insights into the genes and metabolic pathways affected in colchicine-treated tomatoes that exhibit improved agronomic traits, such as plant vigor and improved photosynthesis rate.