Metabolomics Approach for the Analysis of Resistance of Four Tomato Genotypes (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) to Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne Incognita)

Metabolomics allows the identification of biochemical markers that have important roles in plant resistance to pests and diseases by which breeders can select plants based on differences in these compounds. This study examines the range of compounds associated with plant defense against nematodes. Resistant tomato genotypes, GM2 and F1 (GM2 × Hawai 7996), and susceptible genotypes, Gondol Putih and Gondol Hijau, were used in this study. Peroxidase activity was measured colorimetrically using a spectrophotometer. (1)H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy combined with orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis was used to analyze the metabolites involved in the tomato-nematode interactions. Identified signals were semi-quantitatively calculated by scaling the intensity of the (1)H-NMR to the signals of an internal standard (trimethyl silyl-3-propionic acid) at 0.00 ppm. Resistant plants showed a higher peroxidase activity than susceptible plants. Chemical compounds that differentiated between susceptible and resistant plants were glucose and caffeic acid. Resistant tomatoes were observed to have seven times higher level of glucose than susceptible plants. Glucose is the primary metabolite that acts in the signaling pathways in plant defense mechanisms. Caffeic acid is one of the phenolic compounds alleged to have a negative effect on the nematode.