The role of stress hormones in regulating tomato resilience and metabolism

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) serves as a major food source and a model crop for understanding plant responses to stress. Abiotic and biotic stresses, exacerbated by climate change, threaten global tomato production. Stress hormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), jasmonates (JAs), and salicylic acid (SA), orchestrate intricate signaling pathways that mediate plant immunity and metabolism. This review synthesizes the roles of these hormones in tomato stress responses. We discuss the biosynthesis and signaling cascades of these stress hormones, and focus on the cellular and metabolic reprogramming they cause and the crosstalk that occurs between them. Increased understanding of these molecular events and interactions provides insights to improve tomato resilience and productivity under environmental challenges.