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Inter-leaf rhythmicity in Solanum lycopersicum contrasts with neutrality in wild tomatoes
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  • Wagner Araújo,
  • João Antonio Siqueira,
  • Auxiliadora O. Martins,
  • Thiago Wakin,
  • Marcelle Ferreira Silva,
  • Willian Batista-Silva,
  • Fred A.L. Brito,
  • Agustin Zsögön,
  • Alisdair R. Fernie,
  • Adriano Nunes-Nesi
Wagner Araújo
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal

Corresponding Author:wlaraujo@ufv.br

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João Antonio Siqueira
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Auxiliadora O. Martins
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Thiago Wakin
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Marcelle Ferreira Silva
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Willian Batista-Silva
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Fred A.L. Brito
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Agustin Zsögön
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Alisdair R. Fernie
Max-Planck-Institut fur molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie
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Adriano Nunes-Nesi
Universidade Federal de Vicosa Departamento de Biologia Vegetal
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Abstract

Cells, tissues, and organs harbour complex systems to allow communication between one another. The biological rhythms can be contrasting among organs, tissues, and cells, adjusting the physiology differently along the organism‘s regions. while also synchronising flowering and metabolism. Here, we revealed that Solanum lycopersicum manifests more balanced rhythms across the whole plant than wild tomatoes. Accordingly, the leaf development program is more coordinated in this organism than in wild species, in that young S. lycopersicum leaves develop slowly in comparison to mature leaves. Young leaves from wild tomatoes display higher photosynthetic rate than mature leaves, while large metabolite accumulations occur across plant segments. Consequently, diel metabolite levels are rather similar between young and mature leaves in the wild tomato S. pennellii, whereas the expression patterns for circadian clock genes are widely contrasting between differently aged leaves. We further demonstrated that introduction of domestication alleles into the wild tomato S. pimpinellifolium appears to synchronize the development of young and mature leaves, rendering this similar to that observed for S. lycopersicum. Collectively, the strengthening of inter-organ relationships in S. lycopersicum indicates an increased synchronization of its biology, which is probably fundamental to explain its elevated yield.