Salt Stress-Induced Polyamine Catabolism in Tomatoes: From Development to Sustainable Fruit Production

Abstract

Salt stress poses a global threat to agriculture and food security, and climate change-related harsh conditions significantly worsen it. Polyamines (PAs) are essential nitrogen-containing compounds found in all living organisms. They are well-documented metabolites used to enhance stress tolerance and improve plant growth under salt stress. PA homeostasis depends heavily on their catabolism, which in turn affects antioxidant defense mechanisms and protein translation. Tomato, a crop of significant agronomic importance, contains a high concentration of PAs. PA regulation occurs through synthesis, conjugation, transport or catabolism. This review discusses the role of PA catabolism and its significance in tomato salt-stress responses. This review will show that the sustainable application methods targeting the PA catabolism could be a promising strategy to enhance salt-stress tolerance in tomatoes in modern agriculture.