Enhanced carotenoid accumulation is of great importance in the visual and functional properties of fruits
and vegetables. Significant progress has been achieved in recent years in our understanding of carotenoid
biosynthesis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using biochemical and genetics approaches. The carotenoid
metabolic network is temporally and spatially controlled, and plants have evolved strategic tactics
to regulate carotenoid metabolism in response to various developmental and environmental factors. In
this review, we summarize the current status of studies on transcription factors and phytohormones that
regulate carotenoid biosynthesis, catabolism, and storage capacity in plastids, as well as the responses
of carotenoid metabolism to environmental cues in tomato fruits. Transcription factors function either in
cooperation with or independently of phytohormone signaling to regulate carotenoid metabolism,
providing novel approaches for metabolic engineering of carotenoid composition and content in tomato.