Flavonols improve tomato pollen thermotolerance during germination and tube elongation by maintaining reactive oxygen species homeostasis.

Elevated temperatures impair pollen performance and reproductive success, resulting in lower crop yields. The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) anthocyanin reduced (are) mutant harbors a mutation in FLAVANONE 3-HYDROXYLASE (F3H), resulting in impaired flavonol antioxidant biosynthesis. The are mutant has reduced pollen performance and seed set relative to the VF36 parental line, phenotypes that are accentuated at elevated temperatures.

Flavonols improve thermotolerance in tomato pollen during germination and tube elongation by maintaining ROS homeostasis.

Unlabelled: Elevated temperatures impair pollen performance and reproductive success, resulting in lower crop yields. The ( ) mutant has a ( ) gene mutation resulting in impaired synthesis of flavonol antioxidants. The mutant has reduced pollen performance and seed set relative to the VF36 parental line, which is accentuated at elevated temperatures.