NEW MOLECULAR MARKERS LINKED WITH THE HIGH SHOOT REGENERATION CAPACITY OF THE WILD TOMATO SPECIES LYCOPERSICON CHILENSE

The goal of this research was to identify molecular markers that could assist in the selection of high shoot regeneration capacity from the progeny of a cross between a tomato cultivar and a 'peruvianum-complex '. The BC1F1 and BC2F1 generations between a tomato cultivar, 'Kyoryok u Ogata Toko' (KOT) and L. chilense PI128644 (together with both the p arents and the F-1 hybrids) were used as materials. BC2F1 generation w as developed by a cross between KOT and a self-compatible BC1F1 plant that had high shoot regeneration capacity. Root explants of KOT cultur ed on an MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l zeatin riboside did not fo rm any shoots, while those of the PI128644 and the F-1 hybrids showed a high shoot regeneration (SR) rate of more than 80 %.The BC1F1 genera tion could be divided into 3 groups (0%, less than 30% and more than 8 0%) for SR rate. The BC2F1 generation could be divided only into 2 gro ups; about 70% of the plants had 0% SR rate and the other 30% had a co ntinuous and non-peak frequency distribution up to 100%. The segregati on of the RAPD markers and the acid invertase gene marker (inv(chi)) w hich were specific to the PI128644, were evaluated in BC1F1 and BC2F1 to determine a possible relationship between these markers and the abi lity to regenerate shoots. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the RAPD markers, OPA02-1, OPA20-3 and inv(chi) were mostly present in the plan ts with the high shoot regeneration capacity. It was suggested that th ese three molecular markers are closely linked to the high shoot regen eration gene of L. chilense PI128644.