Transcriptome and metabolome analysis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits cultivated under drought conditions showed that drought stress promoted fatty acid synthesis and increased the content of fatty acids in fruits. The accumulation of some phospholipids composed of palmitic acid and oleic acid also was significantly increased, especially in seeds. Moreover, inositol, which is a component of cell membranes and cell walls, was increased through the activity of the myoinositol monophosphatase 1-mediated pathway. In mature fruits, the levels of metabolic regulators such as β-alanine and 4-aminobutyric acid were elevated. These results showed that these compounds are drought-responsive and enhance drought tolerance and subsequently they could enhance the nutritional value and health benefits of tomato fruit.
Keywords: cell membrane; cell wall; drought stress; fatty acid; mass spectrometric imaging; metabolome; phospholipid; tomato; transcriptome.