NaCl Promotes Tomato Fruit Coloring by Relieving SlSR3-Induced Transcriptional Inhibition of Lycopene Synthesis-Related Genes

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Research at Gansu Agricultural University has shed light on the role of NaCl in accelerating tomato fruit coloring. The study found that moderate salt stress (50 mM NaCl treatment) reduced chlorophyll content, increased carotenoid and lycopene content, and accelerated tomato color transition without decreasing yield. The study identified a novel molecular mechanism underlying the effects of moderate salt stress on tomato color transformation, suggesting that SlSR3-induced transcriptional regulation of lycopene synthesis-related genes plays a crucial role in promoting tomato fruit coloring.

Key Takeaways:

  • NaCl treatment reduced chlorophyll content and increased carotenoid and lycopene content in tomato fruit.
  • Moderate salt stress (50 mM NaCl treatment) accelerated tomato color transition without decreasing yield.
  • SlSR3, a calmodulin-binding transcription activator, regulates the expression of lycopene synthesis-related genes PPH, PSY2, PDS, and ZDS.
  • SlSR3 can directly bind to the promoter of PSY2 and ZDS, downregulating their expression.
  • NaCl treatment reverses the transcriptional inhibition of SlSR3 on PSY2 and ZDS expression, upregulating their expression.
  • The study provides a better understanding of the function of SlSR3 in tomato coloring and offers insights on the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of moderate salt stress on tomato color transformation.

Statistics:

  • 50 mM NaCl treatment reduced chlorophyll content by X% and increased carotenoid and lycopene content by Y% in tomato fruit.
  • The study found that SlSR3 overexpression had the opposite effect of NaCl treatment, downregulating PPH, PSY2, PDS, and ZDS.
  • The publisher's economic data was not available at the time of writing this report.
  • Corresponding author Tong Wang is a researcher at Gansu Agricultural University.
  • Additional authors for this research include Xuemei Hou, Yihua Li, Aiyin Cui, Yuanyuan Kong, Yali Zhu, Hua Fang, Chunlei Wang, and Weibiao Liao.

Sources:

  • NaCl promotes tomato fruit coloring by relieving SlSR3-induced transcriptional inhibition of lycopene synthesis-related genes. The Plant Journal, 2025;123(5).
  • NewsRx. Findings on Chemicals and Chemistry Reported by Researchers at Gansu Agricultural University (NaCl promotes tomato fruit coloring by relieving SlSR3-induced transcriptional inhibition of lycopene synthesis-related genes). Chemicals & Chemistry. September 19, 2025; p 1189.