EPF/EPFL Peptide Signaling as a Regulatory Node Linking Stomatal Development to Drought and Heat Tolerance in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), 15 EPF/EPFL family members were identified, with stress-responsive SlEPF5, SlEPF8, SlEPF9, SlEPF10, and SlEPF13 showing genotype- and stress-dependent expression patterns.

• Why it matters: The EPF/EPFL peptide family regulates stomatal development, but its roles in tomato responses to drought, heat, and combined drought-heat stress remain largely unexplored.
• What they did: The study identified 15 SlEPF proteins containing EPF-type domains, annotated their functions and promoters, and compared expression of five stress-responsive SlEPF genes in Money Maker (MM) and Ailsa Craig (AC) under drought, heat, and combined stress.
• The result: MM showed consistent downregulation of SlEPF5 and SlEPF13 across all stress conditions and strong induction of SlEPF8 under drought and combined stress, while AC displayed broader activation, especially under heat and combined stress.