PROTEIN EXPRESSION OF A SELF-COMPATIBLE ALLELE FROM LYCOPERSICON-PERUVIANUM - INTROGRESSION AND BEHAVIOR IN A SELF-INCOMPATIBLE BACKGROUND

Lycopersicon peruvianum (wild tomato) is a gametophytic self-incompati ble (SI) species. One natural population has been shown to harbor a se lf-compatible (SC) allele. A stylar protein associated with the self-c ompatibility allele has been elucidated using SDS-PAGE, The temporal a nd spatial expression of this protein is presented and compared with p rotein expression of two SI alleles. Hybrids containing the SC and SI alleles were used in a backcrossing program to introgress the SC allel e into SI backgrounds in six independent lines. Controlled pollination s and SDS-PAGE were used to identify and select classes of progeny. Af ter four backcross generations (approximately 97% recovery of the SI b ackgrounds) the SC allele still confers self-fertility in lines that c ontain this allele, providing evidence that the mutation to SC occurre d at the S-locus and that the associated protein is likely responsible .