Tomato SABP2-Interacting Protein SlSIP428 and Its Role in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses
Abstract
The stability of global agriculture and food security depends on the ability of staple crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), to resist ever-changing climate conditions. Plant stress resistance is dependent on the ability of regulatory proteins to stop immune response in the absence of external stress. Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2 (SABP2) Interacting Protein 428 (SIP428) is a deacetylase that has been characterized as a negative regulator of SABP2 in tobacco systems. SABP2 is a methyl esterase responsible for converting Methyl Salicylate (MeSA) to Salicylic Acid (SA), an important plant hormone responsible for activating plant stress response. Although SIP428 function has been characterized in tobacco, it has not been characterized in tomato systems. To understand the function of S. lycopersicum SIP428 (SISIP428), we identified a tomato homolog to Nicotiana tabacum SIP428 (NtSIP428), and designed a CRISPR knockout construct that was utilized to engineer gene-edited SlSIP428 knockout tomato lines. We then plan to engineer an SlSIP428 overexpression construct to engineer overexpression lines, and ultimately utilized a bidirectional approach stress-testing the knockout and overexpression lines along with control groups to gain a complete understanding of how SlSIP428 impacts tomato stress response. This research will provide a critical framework for engineering more stress resistant tomato plants and develop a stronger understanding of the tomato stress response mechanism. This project also has the potential to make a positive impact within Northeast Tennessee, as recovery efforts towards Hurricane Helene include finding ways to engineer plants that are more resistant to dramatic changes in soil composition due to natural disasters.
Start Time
15-4-2026 9:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 10:00 AM
Room Number
272
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Research-in-Progress
Presentation Category
Science, Technology, and Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Kumar Dhirendra
Tomato SABP2-Interacting Protein SlSIP428 and Its Role in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses
272
The stability of global agriculture and food security depends on the ability of staple crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), to resist ever-changing climate conditions. Plant stress resistance is dependent on the ability of regulatory proteins to stop immune response in the absence of external stress. Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2 (SABP2) Interacting Protein 428 (SIP428) is a deacetylase that has been characterized as a negative regulator of SABP2 in tobacco systems. SABP2 is a methyl esterase responsible for converting Methyl Salicylate (MeSA) to Salicylic Acid (SA), an important plant hormone responsible for activating plant stress response. Although SIP428 function has been characterized in tobacco, it has not been characterized in tomato systems. To understand the function of S. lycopersicum SIP428 (SISIP428), we identified a tomato homolog to Nicotiana tabacum SIP428 (NtSIP428), and designed a CRISPR knockout construct that was utilized to engineer gene-edited SlSIP428 knockout tomato lines. We then plan to engineer an SlSIP428 overexpression construct to engineer overexpression lines, and ultimately utilized a bidirectional approach stress-testing the knockout and overexpression lines along with control groups to gain a complete understanding of how SlSIP428 impacts tomato stress response. This research will provide a critical framework for engineering more stress resistant tomato plants and develop a stronger understanding of the tomato stress response mechanism. This project also has the potential to make a positive impact within Northeast Tennessee, as recovery efforts towards Hurricane Helene include finding ways to engineer plants that are more resistant to dramatic changes in soil composition due to natural disasters.
