The tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) is one of the most damaging pests for this crop. A study published in Nature Communications, involving José Maurício Simões Bento of Esalq-USP and Chinese researchers led by Jiancai Li, showed that the wild tomato Solanum pennellii defends itself better thanks to a molecule with a different three-dimensional shape.
The difference lies in GAME8 enzymes: just four amino acids around the enzyme’s cavity decide whether the plant makes phytotomatine, which protects better against the moth, or α-tomatine, the molecule found in cultivated tomatoes.
In principle, editing these four amino acids could lead to more resistant commercial varieties. The authors stress that more tests are needed, including the effect on other pests and on fruit flavour and quality. The work was supported by FAPESP and China’s NSFC.
