Model Organisms in Plant Science: Tomato

We are pleased to introduce the collection Model Organisms in Plant Science: Tomato

Model organisms represent an invaluable resource for fundamental and applied research, allowing prediction studies, modeling, and the identification of molecular mechanisms and impact. This article collection will showcase studies of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) that have significance to the field of plant science as a whole.

Tomato originated in South America and is one of the most important crops in the world both for fresh fruit and the processed food industries with many health-promoting compounds. Apart from their economic importance, tomatoes have become the model for the study of plant growth, fruit development, and the growth and ripening of climacteric crops. The wild tomato species are also vital in plant breeding studies and for understanding domestication history. Recent advancements in genomic and transcriptomic methods advanced the information on understanding tomato fruit development as a whole and provided insights on the regulation of various processes i.e. biosynthesis of nutritional compounds, cell wall degradation and ripening, stress response, flavor, and volatile production. With tomato being a member of the Solanaceae family, knowledge obtained in this species can also be applied to other relative crops such as potato, eggplant, and pepper among others. The availability of mutant collections and efficient and versatile transformation and gene-editing protocols allow for wider use of tomato as a model plant.

This Research Topic aims to put forward the importance of research done on tomatoes, presenting recent developments and important accomplishments that were vital in moving forward the study of plants. The role of tomatoes in understanding the development of other crop species will also be presented in this collection. The Research Topic is expected to shed light on the progress made in the past decade in working with tomatoes as a model organism. This article collection will inspire, inform and provide direction and guidance to researchers in the field.

Submissions of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, and methods on the following sub-themes are welcome but not limited to:

-Development and hormonal signaling in tomato
-Physiological mechanisms, including response to biotic and abiotic stresses
-Antioxidants and secondary metabolites
-Germplasm enhancement
-Yield and quality trait improvement
-Transcriptomic studies
-Light-signal transduction
-Gene-editing
-Biomass allocation

Note: Descriptive or derivative studies that do not address a clear developmental hypothesis or only provide incremental advancement of knowledge will not be considered for review.

Keywords: fleshy fruit, climacteric crop, fruit ripening, growth and development, model organism

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.