Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.

Yield, quality and conservation of heterozygous tomatoes in alcobaça, nonripening and ripening inhibitor loci

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os atributos de produtividade, qualidade e conservação pós-colheita de tomates, para comparar os efeitos promovidos pelos alelos alcobaça (norA), nonripening (nor) e ripening inhibitor (rin) em heterozigose, isoladamente ou em duplas combinações, sobre frutos de tomateiros híbridos. Foram avaliados dez tratamentos: sete híbridos experimentais quase-isogênicos, com background FloraDade x Tropic de genótipos nor+/norA, rin+/rin, nor+/nor, nor/norA, nor+/norA rin+/rin e nor+/nor rin+/rin; e três testemunhas comerciais (Floradade, Tropic e Carmen F1). Contrariamente aos genótipos rin+/rin e nor+/nor, o genótipo nor+/norA não prolongou, significativamente, a firmeza dos frutos em pós-colheita. Os genótipos duplo-mutantes norA/nor, nor+/norA rin+/rin e nor+/nor rin+/rin foram eficientes em atrasar a perda de firmeza e a evolução da coloração dos frutos; os efeitos dos locos nor+/norA e rin+/rin, juntos, sofreram desvios significativos em relação à soma dos efeitos desses locos, quando atuaram separadamente, no sentido de intensificarem esses atrasos. O uso de híbridos heterozigotos, nas duplas combinações entre os locos norA, nor e rin, mostrou-se vantajoso por propiciar frutos firmes, com maior extensão da vida pós-colheita, em comparação com o uso dos híbridos portadores desses locos isoladamente. A qualidade dos frutos duplo-mutantes não foi limitada pelo atraso na evolução da coloração vermelha.Thie objective of this work was to evaluate yield, quality and postharvest conservation of tomatoes, to compare the effects promoted by the alcobaça (norA), nonripening (nor) and ripening inhibitor (rin) alleles, in heterozygosis, singly or in double combinations on hybrid tomato fruits. Ten treatments were evaluated: seven experimental nearly isogenic hybrids of FloraDade x Tropic background or reciprocal with nor+/norA, rin+/rin, nor+/nor, nor/norA, nor+/norA rin+/rin and nor+/nor rin+/rin genotypes, and three commercial checks (FloraDade, Tropic and Carmen F1). Oppositely to the genotypes rin+/rin and nor+/nor, the genotype nor+/norA did not significantly extend the firmness of the fruits in postharvest. The double mutant genotypes norA/nor, nor+/norA rin+/rin and nor+/nor rin+/rin were efficient in delaying firmness loss and the evolution of fruits colouring; the effects of loci nor+/norA and rin+/rin, together, underwent significant deviations relatively to the sum of these loci effects, when acting singly, in the sense of enhancing those delays. Use of heterozygous hybrids in the double combinations among loci norA, nor and rin proved advantageous for providing firm fruits with a longer postharvest lifetime, as compared with the hybrids carrying these loci singly. The quality of double mutant fruits was not restricted by the delay in the evolution of red coloration

Research priorities for global food security under extreme events

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Teste de alelismo entre os mutantes de amadurecimento alcobaça e non-ripening em tomateiro Allelism test between the alcobaça and non-ripening mutants in tomato plants

Desde o início da década de 1980, são relatadas na literatura divergências quanto às relações de alelismo ou não entre os mutantes de amadurecimento de frutos de tomateiro denominados alc (= alcobaça) e nor (=non-ripening). Para dirimir tais dúvidas, foi realizado um teste de alelismo entre os genes considerados. Foram avaliadas 364 plantas F2 provenientes do cruzamento entre as linhagens de tomateiro TOM-559 (alc/alc) e TOM-613 (nor/nor), além de vinte plantas de cada uma das linhagens TOM-559 (alc/alc), TOM-613 (nor/nor), de cada um dos híbridos F1 [(TOM-559 x TOM-613), alc+/alc nor+/nor], F1 [(Floradade x TOM-559), alc+/alc nor+/nor+] e F1 [(Floradade x TOM-613), alc+/alc+nor+/nor], bem como da linhagem de genótipo normal Floradade (alc+/alc+nor+/nor+ rin+/rin+). TOM-559 e TOM-613 são linhagens isogênicas à cv. Floradade, da qual diferem apenas quanto à presença dos genes alc e nor, respectivamente. Frutos de Floradade colhidos no estádio breaker apresentam coloração vermelha normal quando maduros (fenótipo normal), enquanto frutos de TOM-559 ou de TOM-613 permanecem amarelados ou amarelo-alaranjados (fenótipo mutante). De cada planta, foram colhidos quatro frutos no estádio breaker de maturação, que foram avaliadas quanto ao fenótipo (normal ou mutante) quando maduros. Os resultados dos testes de alelismo indicam que a hipótese mais provável é a de que alc e nor sejam alélicos. Dessa maneira, alc é considerado um terceiro alelo no loco nor, e sugere-se a substituição de seu símbolo para norA.<br>Since the early 1980's there are conflicting reports on the possible allelic relations between the tomato ripening mutants alc (=alcobaça) and nor (=non-ripening). In order to end these controversies, a test of allelism between the genes alc and nor was performed. A total of 364 plants of the F2 population between the tomato lines TOM-559 (alc/alc) and TOM-613 (nor/nor) were screened, along with 20 plants each of lines TOM-559 (alc/alc) and TOM-613 (nor/nor), of hybrids F1 [(TOM-559 x TOM-613), alc+/alc nor+/nor], F1 [(Floradade x TOM-559), alc+/alc nor+/nor+] and F1 [(Floradade x TOM-613), alc+/alc+nor+/nor], and of the normal phenotype line Floradade (alc+/alc+nor+/nor+). TOM-559 and TOM-613 are near-isogenic lines to Floradade, and differ from the latter only due to the presence of genes alc and nor, respectively. Floradade fruit harvested at the breaker stage show normal red color (normal phenotype) when fully ripe, whereas fruit of either TOM-559 or TOM-613 remain yellow or yellowish-orange (mutante phenotype). Four fruits per plant were harvested at the breaker stage and subsequently evaluated for their mature fruit color phenotype (normal or mutant). The results of the test of allelism indicate that the most likely hypothesis is that alc and nor are allelic to each other. Therefore, alc was considered to be a third allele at the nor locus, and the symbol norA was substituted for alc