From root to fruit: RNA-Seq analysis reveals that arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis may affect the tomato fruit metabolism

The crop species Solanum lycopersicum establishes a beneficial root- symbiosis with the widespread group of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The mycorrhiza establishment leads to a modulation of the plant gene expression which is not restricted to the root compartment but spreads at the organism-wide level. To understand the systemic effect of the fungal presence on the tomato fruit, we performed global transcriptome profiling through RNA-Seq analysis on Moneymaker tomato fruits sampled at the turning ripening stage. Gene expression data were obtained from fruits sampled at 55 days after flowering. Fruits were collected from Funneliformis mosseae colonized plants and from control plants which were fertilized in order to avoid responses related to nutrient deficiency.