Tomato as a Model Plant to Understand Plant–Microbial Interactions

The interconnections between plants and microbes have been thoroughly investigated to comprehend various plant processes. Certain microbes have a beneficial effect, and others have detrimental effects. Many plant model systems such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Medicago truncatula, Oryza sativa, and Solanum esculentum have been studied vis-a-vis interaction with microbes. Solanum esculentum (Tomato) is among the most recognized veggies in the world. However, its propagation has been impeded by an array of diseases. Various guard mechanisms are opted by the tomato plant to rescue itself from the attack of pathogens. However, owing to the rise of new pathogenic races, it has become of utmost importance to understand the tomato–pathogen interactions. The advent of sequencing of the next generation and new technologies, e.g., RNA interference and Crispr-Cas, has proved to be beneficial in protection against diseases. This review focuses on tomato as an experimental plant to investigate plant–pathogen interactions. The following topics are addressed, e.g., various pathogens of tomato and their mode of infection, the defense mechanisms, and the recent strategies opted for protecting tomato plants against microbes.