DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH BETA-CAROTENE TOMATO GERMPLASM AND IDENTIFICATION OF MOLECULAR MARKERS LINKED TO THE BETA LOCUS IN TOMATO

Authors: Stommel, John; Zhang, Yiping

Submitted to: Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Three tomato breeding lines, 97L63, 97L66, and 97L97 which
produce fruit high in beta-carotene content have been
developed for use in processing applications. These lines
were developed from an interspecific cross between L.
esculentum cv. FM6203 and the wild tomato relative L.
cheesmanii f. minor, accession LA317. LA317 was the donor
parent for the Beta allele which conditions accumulation of
high beta-carotene levels relative to other colored
carotenoids in ripe fruit. Plants are compact, determinate in
growth habit, and produce a concentrated set of firm, uniform
ripening, crack resistant fruit. Populations constructed
during the development of these lines were utilized to
identify PCR-based molecular markers linked to the Beta locus.
Sixty-four AFLP primer pairs and 1018 arbitrary RAPD primers
were utilized to screen these populations for unique
polymorphic products which cosegregated with the Beta locus.
Two RAPD markers identified in the interspecific L. esculentum
x L. cheesmanii f. minor F2 population and one AFLP marker
identified in the NIL were confirmed to be tightly linked with
the Beta phenotype. RAPD and AFLP products have been cloned
for use in mapping and for development of SCAR markers.