| Summary: | The fatty acid desaturase (FAD) gene family plays a crucial regulatory role in the resistance process of plant biomembranes. To understand the role of FADs in tomato growth and development, this study identified and analyzed the tomato <i>FAD</i> gene family based on bioinformatics analysis methods. In this study, 26 <i>SlFADs</i> were unevenly distributed on 10 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the <i>SlFAD</i> gene family was divided into six branches, and the exon–intron composition and conserved motifs of <i>SlFADs</i> clustered in the same branch were quite conservative. Several hormone and stress response elements in the <i>SlFAD</i> promoter suggest that the expression of <i>SlFAD</i> members is subject to complex regulation; the construction of a tomato FAD protein interaction network found that <i>SlFAD</i> proteins have apparent synergistic effects with SPA and GPAT proteins. qRT-PCR verification results show that <i>SlFAD</i> participates in the expression of tomato root, stem, and leaf tissues; <i>SlFAD8</i> is mainly highly expressed in leaves; <i>SlFAD9</i> plays a vital role in response to salt stress; and <i>SlFAB5</i> regulates all stages of fruit development under the action of exogenous hormones. In summary, this study provides a basis for a systematic understanding of the <i>SlFAD</i> gene family. It provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the functional characteristics of tomato <i>SlFAD</i> genes.
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