Genomic and metabolomic exploration of natural variability of fruit developpement and quality in tomato (GENTMETFRUQUAL) – GENTMETFRUQUAL

Because of their original composition of micronutrients and fibers known to have positive effects on human health, the consumption of fresh or processed fruit and vegetables has significantly increased over the last decade. Tomato is the model system for studying fleshy fruit in addition of being a bridging species for Solanaceae research. Taking advantage of the availability of a wide range of biological resources on the tomato, this project combines genomic, metabolomic and reverse genetic approaches to unravel the molecular mechanisms of fruit development. By implementing high throughput analysis technologies, together with bioinformatic tools, to analyse fruit development and ripening, this project is primarily targeted to identify signaling pathways controlling these processes. These genome-wide technologies will be applied to analyse either natural variants (recombinant inbred lines, introgression lines, cultivars) or specifically designed transgenic lines affected in hormone signalling to reveal underlying networks of interactions between the different pathways leading to the build up of fruit quality traits. The project will provide new understanding of the fruit developmental program and especially those aspects related to external quality, as well as nutritional and flavor characteristics. Ultimately, it is envisaged that many of the key genes characterized during this functional analysis will become the target for future studies and crop improvement strategies.