ABA and Ethylene Mediates Tomato Root Development Modulation During Endophytic Fungal Interaction.

ABSTRACT: The early stages of plant-microbe interaction are critical for establishing beneficial symbioses. We investigated how the endophytic fungus Fusarium solani strain FsK modulates tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) development and hormone pathways during in vitro co-cultivation. Seedlings were sampled at three early interaction stages (pre-contact, T1; initial contact, T2, 3 days post-contact, T3). Root traits and root and leaf transcripts for abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene (ET) pathways were quantified, alongside fungal ET-biosynthesis genes. FsK altered root system architecture, increasing root area, lateral root number, root-hair length, and fresh biomass. These morphological changes coincided with tissue- and time-specific shifts. In leaves, FsK broadly affected ABA biosyntheti

SUBMITTER: Feka M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12565129 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature