Ethanol increases high temperature tolerance in tomato plants

February 19, 2024

Contributing to the development of technologies to improve high temperature tolerance of agricultural crops

A joint research group from the RIKEN CSRS and University of Tsukuba has discovered that the application of ethanol to tomato plants enhances their tolerance to high temperature stress.

In this study, the joint research group applied inexpensive and easily available ethanol to tomato seedlings and then subjected them to a high-temperature-stress environment. From the results, they found that the survival rate after high temperature stress was improved and the growth damage of fruits due to high temperature stress was reduced. A comprehensive analysis of quantitative changes in gene expression and metabolites revealed that ethanol application 1) increases the expression level of stress-responsive genes called LEAs, 2) leads to accumulation of sugars such as glucose and fructose, and 3) increases expression of genes involved in the elimination of reactive oxygen species that are harmful to living organisms when their levels increase. These mechanisms of action suggest a possibility of improved tolerance to high-temperature stress.

The results of this study are expected to make contribution to the development of technologies to enhance high-temperature tolerance of agricultural products.

Original article

Frontiers in Plant Science doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1325365

D. Todaka, D. T. N. Quynh, M. Tanaka, Y. Utsumi, C. Utsumi, A. Ezoe, S. Takahashi, J. Ishida, M. Kusano, M. Kobayashi, K. Saito, A. J. Nagano, Y. Nakano, N. Mitsuda, S. Fujiwara, M. Seki,

"Application of ethanol alleviates heat damage to leaf growth and yield in tomato".

Contact

Motoaki Seki; Team Leader
Daisuke Todaka; Research Scientist
Plant Genomic Network Research Team