Analysis of Salinity Tolerance in Tomato Introgression Lines Based on Morpho-Physiological and Molecular Traits

Ahmed Abdelrahim Mohamed Ali; Walid Ben Romdhane; Mohamed Tarroum; Mohammed Al-Dakhil; Abdullah Al-Doss; Abdullah A. Alsadon; Afif Hassairi

doi:10.3390/plants10122594

Plants (Nov 2021)

Analysis of Salinity Tolerance in Tomato Introgression Lines Based on Morpho-Physiological and Molecular Traits

Ahmed Abdelrahim Mohamed Ali,
Walid Ben Romdhane,
Mohamed Tarroum,
Mohammed Al-Dakhil,
Abdullah Al-Doss,
Abdullah A. Alsadon,
Afif Hassairi

Affiliations

Ahmed Abdelrahim Mohamed Ali: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Walid Ben Romdhane: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Tarroum: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 11451, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Al-Dakhil: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Al-Doss: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah A. Alsadon: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Afif Hassairi: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122594
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 12
p. 2594

Abstract

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The development of salt-tolerant tomato genotypes is a basic requirement to overcome the challenges of tomato production under salinity in the field or soil-free farming. Two groups of eight tomato introgression lines (ILs) each, were evaluated for salinity tolerance. Group-I and the group-II resulted from the following crosses respectively: Solanum lycopersicum cv-6203 × Solanum habrochaites and Solanum lycopersicum M82 × Solanum pennellii. Salt tolerance level was assessed based on a germination percentage under NaCl (0, 75, 100 mM) and in the vegetative stage using a hydroponic growing system (0, 120 mM NaCl). One line from group I (TA1648) and three lines from group II (IL2-1, IL2-3, and IL8-3) were shown to be salt-tolerant since their germination percentages were significantly higher at 75 and 100 mM NaCl than that of their respective cultivated parents cvE6203 and cvM82. Using the hydroponic system, IL TA1648 and IL 2-3 showed the highest value of plant growth traits and chlorophyll concentration. The expression level of eight salt-responsive genes in the leaves and roots of salt-tolerant ILs (TA1648 and IL 2-3) was estimated. Interestingly, SlSOS1, SlNHX2, SlNHX4, and SlERF4 genes were upregulated in leaves of both TA1648 and IL 2-3 genotypes under NaCl stress. While SlHKT1.1, SlNHX2, SlNHX4, and SlERF4 genes were upregulated under salt stress in the roots of both TA1648 and IL 2-3 genotypes. Furthermore, SlSOS2 and SlSOS3 genes were upregulated in TA1648 root and downregulated in IL 2-3. On the contrary, SlSOS1 and SlHKT1.2 genes were upregulated in the IL 2-3 root and downregulated in the TA1648 root. Monitoring of ILs revealed that some of them have inherited salt tolerance from S. habrochaites and S. pennellii genetic background. These ILs can be used in tomato breeding programs to develop salt-tolerant tomatoes or as rootstocks in grafting techniques under saline irrigation conditions.

Published in Plants

ISSN: 2223-7747 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants

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