Variation in responses to N limitation in Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme and S. pimpinellifolium accessions and hybrids reveals genetic potential for improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in tomato breeding

Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is critical in reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Wild relatives represent valuable underexploited genetic resources for improving NUE and ensuring sustainable tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in response to global demand. This stu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gil-Villar, Daniel, Arrones, Andrea, Gramazio, Pietro, Vilanova, Santiago, Jiménez-Benavente, Eva, Plazas, Mariola, Arbona, Vicent, Granell, Antonio, Medina, Joaquín, Molina, Rosa Victoria, Prohens, Jaime, Nebauer, Sergio G.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/406827
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/406827
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105014296216
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Breeding
Low-input agriculture
NUE
Nitrogen
Partition
Tomato
Uptake
Yield
Descripción
Sumario:Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is critical in reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Wild relatives represent valuable underexploited genetic resources for improving NUE and ensuring sustainable tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in response to global demand. This study presents an integrative physiological and transcriptomic analysis of four genetically and geographically diverse accessions of S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (SLC) and S. pimpinellifolium (SP), along with four interspecific F1 hybrids grown under optimal and sub-optimal N supply levels. These materials were evaluated for their long-term responses, and specific adaptations to N limitation were identified across materials. Specifically, SLC3 displayed high NUE under sub-optimal N supply, primarily due to efficient N partitioning to the fruit, and transcriptional activation of genes associated with photosynthesis and responses to light. Furthermore, SP1 and SP3 accessions presented the highest N uptake efficiency across both N levels, likely linked to differential regulation of genes related to amino acid transport in SP1 and root cell wall growth responses in SP3. Transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct sets of root- and leaf-expressed genes among accessions regulated in response to N availability. Specific combinations of genes involved in N transport, like NPF, NRT2, and amino acid permease families, and C/N metabolism were identified. These results emphasize the potential of SLC and SP accessions as sources of NUE-related alleles, highlighting that their successful incorporation as founders in multiparent MAGIC populations could accelerate breeding for high-yielding, N-efficient tomato cultivars.