Exploring the coordination of antioxidant and metabolic responses to drought by <i>SlTAT</i> in <i>Solanum habrochaites</i> through integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis

Wild tomato species Solanum habrochaites (SH) exhibits superior drought tolerance compared with cultivated Ailsa craig (AC). This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying this trait through integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, focusing on the regulatory role of SlTAT in coordinating antioxidant and metabolic responses. We employed comparative physiological assays, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of SlTAT, and integrated multi-omics analysis (RNA-seq and LC-MS/MS) to characterize drought response mechanisms in SH versus AC under controlled drought conditions. SlTAT was identified as a critical regulator enriched in amino acid and alkaloid biosynthesis pathways. Silencing SlTAT in AC significantly impaired drought tolerance (P < 0.01), concurrently altering expression of antioxidant and secondary metabolism genes and reducing accumulation of protective metabolites. SlTAT enhances drought tolerance by synchronizing antioxidant defences with metabolic reprogramming in amino acid and alkaloid pathways. These findings provide novel targets for improving crop resilience through secondary metabolite engineering.