drought resistance

Understanding Stress Resilience in Tomatoes: Insights Into the Role of PP2C Genes

Posted on by Kelly Grooms
An illustration of a tomato plant divided between normal and drought conditions. This study looks at the role of PP2C in stress response.

As climate change accelerates, understanding how crops survive environmental stress isn’t just an academic question—it’s a critical challenge for global food security. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), a staple crop worldwide, face increasing threats from drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. But how do these plants adapt at the molecular level?

A recent study published in Scientific Reports ​investigated the evolutionary history, genomic diversity, and functional roles of protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) genes in tomatoes (1). Instead of merely cataloging these genes, the researchers analyzed how PP2C gene expression changes under environmental stress. This information could help inform us about crop improvement strategies.

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Promega Partnering with UC-Davis Drought-Resistant Rice Project

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) announced on November 30 that they are awarding $1M to a project based at the University of California, Davis, to study protein kinases of rice plants. The team is led by Dr. Pamela Ronald, a leading expert in plant genetics who has engineered disease- and flood-resistant rice. This project aims to address the growing agricultural problem of water scarcity by gaining a better understanding of the role kinases play in enabling drought-resistance. Promega will be supporting this research by providing NanoBRET™ products to help characterize kinase inhibitors.

Principal Investigator Pamela Ronald, Ph.D. Photo Credit: Deanne Fitzmaurice

The research team will begin by screening over 1,000 human kinase inhibitors to determine which ones do interact with the plant kinome and, if applicable, which kinase(s) they inhibit. Once the compound library has been established, the team will assess the inhibitors’ phenotypic effects on rice to identify kinases that, when inhibited, positively impact root growth and development. The long-term goal is to use these findings to engineer drought-resistant rice.

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