IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RESISTANCE TO TOBACCO ETCH VIRUS IN LYCOPERSICON SPECIES

Tomato and wild related species with or without described resistance t o potyviruses were screened for resistance to tobacco etch virus (TEV) . Lycopersicon pennellii LA 716 and L. pimpinellifolium LA 1478 were f ound to be tolerant to TEV. L. hirsutum PI 247087, previously reported resistant to potato virus Y (PVY), was found resistant to TEV. The vi rus was not detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in t he inoculated leaves of L. hirsutum PI 247087 but could be recovered b y back-inoculations to tobacco plants. TEV was not detected in the uni noculated leaves of L. hirsutum PI 247087. Virus multiplication and/or virus migration from cell to cell appeared to be impaired, preventing systemic spread of TEV in L. hirsutum PI 247087. The resistance of L. hirsutum PI 247087 to TEV is expressed at the cotyledonary stage and is efficient against four different geographical isolates. Inheritance of the resistance appears to be controlled by one recessive gene.