Genetic analysis of resistances to races 1 and 2 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici from the wild tomato Lycopersicon pennellii.

Resistance to race 3 of Fusarium wilt in the wild tomato Lycopersicon pennellii (LA 716) was previously found to be controlled by one major locus, I-3, tightly linked to Got-2 on chromosome 7. This accession was also found to carry resistance to races 1 and 2; a genetic analysis of these resistances is reported in this paper. This analysis proceeded in two steps. First, allelism tests demonstrated that race 1 and 2 resistances carried by L. pennellii were not allelic to the I and I-2 genes originally incorporated into L. esculentum from L. pimpinellifolium. Second, an interspecific backcross with L. pennellii (BC1) was used to determine the mode of inheritance of these new resistances and their chromosomal location by segregation and linkage analysis. BC1 responses to each of the races were determined using progeny tests (BC1S1). BC1S1 plants were inoculated with race 1 or 2 and evaluated after 1 month using a visual disease rating system; mean disease ratings were calculated for each BC1 individual for each race based on the progeny scores. A bimodal frequency distribution of the BC1 mean disease ratings was observed for both races, indicating that one major locus controlled resistance in each case. Statistical comparisons of the mean disease ratings of homozygous versus heterozygous individuals at each of 17 segregating enzyme loci were used to map the resistances to races 1 and 2. Tight linkage was detected between the enzyme locus Got-2 and resistances to both races, as was previously reported for the I-3 locus. Therefore, the Got-2 locus can be used as a selectable marker for resistances to all three races. The relationship of these resistances is discussed in the paper. In addition, as previously reported for race 3, significance was also detected for the chromosome segment marked by Aps-2 on chromosome 8 for both races. Currently many cultivars carry I and I-2 resistances to races 1 and 2. Incorporation of the LA 716 resistances to these two races into cultivars may reduce the likelihood of new race development.