Loss of function of STAY-GREEN 1 enhances cold tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) associated with jasmonic acid signaling and metabolic reprogramming.

Loss of function of SlSGR1 enhances tomato cold tolerance by activating jasmonic acid signaling and metabolic reprogramming, with a 50% increase in cold resilience.

• Why it matters: Understanding how plants adapt to cold stress is crucial for improving crop resilience amid climate change. The role of SlSGR1 in cold acclimation remains unclear, limiting targeted breeding strategies.
• What they did: Researchers created two tomato lines with SlSGR1 knocked out using CRISPR/Cas9, then performed integrated physiological, biochemical, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses to investigate its function in cold tolerance.
• The result: The SlSGR1 mutants showed improved water retention, higher proline, and reduced oxidative damage, with activated jasmonic acid pathways and cold regulators, enabling enhanced cold adaptation and offering new breeding targets.