Investigation of the effects of long non-coding RNAs under drought stress on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential in realizing biological functions like responding to environmental stresses; these functions include plant development, growth, and drought. Tomatoes are economically significant and are rich in vitamins A and C. The tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum), widely consumed globally, is a suitable organism for understanding stress mechanisms. Its genome has been fully sequenced, and it is a physiologically well-characterized plant, both from growth and fruit production aspects. However, although studies have been performed regarding lncRNAs during ripening, little is known about non-protein-coding RNAs during growth and stress conditions. This research aims to determine the long non-coding RNAs by sequencing the whole transcriptome for analysis with the NGS method at the conclusion of the drought stress application to the tomato plant. In this research, Falcon and SC2121 tomato cultivars were selected. The putative roles of the lncRNAs under drought stress were evaluated in this study by applying molecular and physiological experiments. Shoot, root lengths, water content, soluble protein content, and malondialdehyde analyses were measured to determine the impacts of drought stress on the two different tomato varieties. The function of drought-induced lncRNAs were identified by comparative transcriptomic analyses, and then roles of putative drought stress-induced lncRNAs functions were analysed at the genome-wide levels. By high-throughput NGS sequencing, 269 putative lncRNAs were identified here. 124 up- and 145 down-regulated lncRNAs were differentially expressed in Falcon and SC2121. As a result of the data obtained, lncRNAs affecting the response mechanism to drought stress was determined, and new methods will be established to increase product yield. The information obtained from this study will help us comprehend the roles of lncRNAs in drought stress and may be helpful in the process of growing tolerant vegetables in the future.