Abstract:
Tomato is considered to be one of the most important vegetables for its value as a source
of nutrients and antioxidants, and as a model crop for biological research, including seed
biology. In this thesis, tissue-specific gene expression and its regulation in tomato seeds
were analyzed to understand the mechanisms underlying tomato seed germination, which
is key to producing a healthy tomato plant. Endosperm cap-specific genes were identified
using GeneChip® analysis. Tomato ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 (TERF1), a
hormone-signaling gene was found to be a potential upstream regulator of multiple
endosperm cap-specific genes. In addition to the basic research on tomato seed
germination, a case study of tomato production and distribution in Almería, Spain, one of
the most important tomato exporting sectors in the world, was performed as part of
international degree research. In this case study, the methods and efficiency of the tomato
production systems in hundreds of greenhouses, so called ‘mar del plástico’ (sea of
plastic) and the tomato distribution systems were analyzed.
