Comparative analysis of drought-induced molecular, morphological and physiological changes in tomato varieties
Abstract
Drought is a major abiotic stress factor for tomato plants, which require frequent and regular irrigation. Tomatoes are cultivated worldwide and are widely used as a model organism in scientific research. For sustainable production, identifying varieties resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses is crucial. This study is the first report on investigating the morphological and physiological responses of two tomato varieties, Naim and Şölen, to drought stress. The mRNA expression of three genes was also analyzed: Ethylene Response Factor 1 (ERF1), Catalase 1 (CAT1), and Metallothionein 1 (MT1). Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that ERF1 expression decreased in both varieties under protracted drought stress conditions compared to the control. CAT1 expression significantly increased in all drought treatments of the Naim variety and only in the 5-day drought treatment of the Şölen variety. MT1 expression increased significantly in the Naim variety in all groups except the 5-day drought treatment, while it decreased in the Şölen variety. Morphological and physiological parameters also showed statistically significant differences between the two varieties across different drought stress periods (p<0.0001), indicating that Naim appeared more sensitive to drought than Şölen. Ultimately, these results provide a comprehensive scientific foundation for selecting varieties tolerant to protracted drought stress and developing protective pre-treatments in tomato cultivation.
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