Transcriptome approach to understand the potential mechanisms inhibiting or triggering blossom-end rot development in tomato fruit in response to plant growth regulators.

The objectives of this study were to analyze changes in gene expression and identify candidate genes and gene networks potentially inhibiting or triggering blossom-end rot (BER) in tomatoes treated with plant growth regulators. ?Ace 55 (Vf)? tomato plants were grown in a greenhouse and sprayed with Apogee (300 mg L?1), abscisic acid (ABA) (500 mg L?1), water (control), or gibberellins 4?+?7 (GA4?+?7) (300 mg L?1) weekly after pollination. The BER incidence rate was zero in Apogee- and ABA-, medium in water-, and high in GA4?+?7-treated plants from 26 to 40 days after pollination (DAP). At 26 DAP, healthy blossom-end fruit tissue still not showing visible BER symptoms was used for transcript…