Embryo culture used to transfer Mi gene into tomato

photo courtesy of Valerie Williamson, Dept. Nematology, UC Davis

Long Description: Photos of tomato roots. Plants with the Mi gene produce roots that resist infection by nematodes. Plants without the Mi gene produce roots that are easily infected by nematodes producing the characteristic swelling and distorted patterns of root growth.

The Mi gene for nematode resistance

was found in the wild tomato

L. peruvianum. Embryo culture

and backcrosses were used to

transfer the Mi gene into tomato

cultivars. Testing progeny plants

for nematode resistance

is extremely laborious and

time-consuming. Many undesirable

genes from the wild tomato

L. peruvianum are transferred

together with the nematode

resistance gene.

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