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

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Oral Communication Abstract - S4e

ISOLATING TOMATO ROOT MUTANTS TO ASSESS THE FUNCTIONAL BIOLOGY OF ROOT SYSTEMS IN SALINE ENVIRONMENTS

A. MAGGIO, P. DE VITA, P. PALLARA, S. ERRICO

ENEA - National Agency for Innovative Technology, Energy and Environment, C.R. Trisaia, S.S. Jonica Km 419-500, 75026 Rotondella (MT), Italy

Micro-Tom, mutagenesis, root morphology, root architecture

The role of roots in the short- and long-term adaptation to salt stress is critical. However our understanding of their specific function in saline environments is far from complete. Tomato is an ideal species for the study of plant salt tolerance since it is an economically important crop and well characterized genetic system. Large scale projects to develop a germoplasm resource and a phenotypic catalogue of EMS and fast neutron mutants (http://www.sgn.cornell.edu/mutants/mutants_web/) exists. Nevertheless, due to practical problems associated to the inspection of underground organs, the identification of root mutants has been overlooked. To date, only four classes of root mutants have been described in tomato: aerial roots (aer1 and aer2), cottony roots (crt), bushy roots (brt1 and brt2) and dwarf root (drt) mutants. Lack of lateral roots mutants, dgt and gib-1, have been documented, also. Using the miniature Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar Micro-Tom (Micro tomato) and two different growth systems (polycarbonate panels and hydroponic culture), which both allow visual inspection of the roots, we have started the screening of a large population of mutagenized Micro-Tom for isolating root morphology and architecture mutants. We are currently screening a transposon tagged population obtained by Dr. Ray Bressan (Purdue University). EMS and fast neutron mutants will be generated for future screening. Preliminary results on the salt tolerance properties of available tomato root mutants will be presented and discussed.