Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 4.12

SOMATIC HYBRIDIZATION BETWEEN EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA) AND WILD ARBOREOUS SOLANUM SPECIES

F. PISANI, D. NIGRIS, L. BORGATO, A. FURINI

Dip. Scientifico e Tecnologico, Università degli Studi di Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona

Solanum is one of the largest genera of vascular plants consisting of more than 1500 described species. Therefore, it represents a source of variability that may be explored for the genetic improvement of many different traits. The selection of somatic hybrids between the herbaceous cultivated eggplant and wild Solanum species with arboreous growth habit is the aim of this study. S. linnaeanum, S. marginatum, S. virginianum and S. campylacanthum have been selected for their woody growth. Although a phylogenetic study by AFLP molecular markers has demonstrated genetic affinity of these species with the cultivated S. melongena, they showed sexual incongruity.

For the heterokaryon selection, S. melongena was genetically transformed to introduce the neomycinphosphotransferase II and the bar genes as selectable markers, while the other partners were biotinylated. After the fusion process achieved by electrofusion, protoplasts were labelled with magnetic microbeads coupled to antibiotin, in this way hybrid cells were resistant to kanamycin and phosphinothricin (PPT) and magnetically labelled. They were selected by passing the fusion mixture into the MACS (magnetic cell sorter) and then incubating the magnetic fraction on kanamycin- or PPT-containing medium to eliminate the homokaryotic cells derived from the kanamycin and PPT susceptible biotin-labelled parent. Regeneration from microcalli may result not only in plants characterized by hybrid vigor but also by different plant architecture with arborescent or shrubby habitus and the new varieties may have perennial instead of annual fruit production.