High lycopene content tomato plants and markers for use in breeding for same

Abstract

Solanum pimpinellifolium plants which are exceptionally high in fruit lycopene content (˜300-390 μg lycopene/g fresh fruit) are disclosed herein, which may be used in plant breeding to make the tomato plants of the present invention. The invention also discloses genetic markers, which are associated with the trait which may be used in marker-assisted selection for development of plants, lines, or varieties with the trait.

1 . A tomato variety or line having an average tissue lycopene content of greater than about 100 μg/g when grown in a commercial tomato growing environment. 
   
   
       2 . The tomato plant according to  claim 1  wherein the average lycopene content is from about 100 to about 200 μg/g. 
   
   
       3 . The tomato plant according to  claim 1  wherein the average lycopene content is greater than about 300 μg/g. 
   
   
       4 . Seed of the plant of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       5 . A tomato seed derived from the variety or line of  claim 1 , wherein said seed having an average lycopene content of greater than about 100 μg/g wherein said lycopene content of said descendant is not statistically different than said designated variety seed when grown in the same environment. 
   
   
       6 . A method of developing a tomato variety or line comprising:
 crossing a plant of the variety or line of  claim 1  with a second, different tomato variety;   harvesting seed produced from said cross, and thereafter   selecting seed with a lycopene content of greater than about 100 μg/g in tomato tissue.   
   
   
       7 . A method of developing a tomato plant in a tomato plant breeding program using plant breeding techniques comprising: using the tomato plant of  claim 1  as a source of breeding material. 
   
   
       8 . A tomato plant, or a part thereof, produced by growing the seed of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       9 . Pollen or an ovule of the plant of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       10 . A fruit of the plant of  claim 9 . 
   
   
       11 . A method for producing a hybrid tomato seed comprising crossing a first parent tomato plant with a second parent tomato plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid tomato seed, wherein said first or second parent tomato plant is a tomato plant of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       12 . A method of producing a tomato fruit comprising: a) growing a tomato plant of  claim 8  to produce a tomato fruit, and b) harvesting said tomato fruit. 
   
   
       13 . A method of vegetatively propagating a tomato plant comprising: a) collecting part of a plant according to  claim 8 ; b) obtaining a plantlet from said part. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising growing a plant from said plantlet. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising harvesting a fruit from said plant grown from said plantlet. 
   
   
       16 . A method for producing tomato plants which are high in fruit lycopene content; the method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a  Solanum pimpinellifolium  plant designated as LA2093 having ATCC Accession No. ______;   b. crossing the  Solanum pimpinellifolium  plant provided in step a with a  Solanum lycopersicum  plant;   c. collecting the seeds resulting from the cross in step b;   d. regenerating the seeds into plants and producing F 1  (first filial generation) plants;   e. growing F 1  plants to maturity and producing fruit;   f evaluating fruits for lycopene content;   g identifying F 1  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   h. selecting F 1  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   i. self-crossing F 1  plants for one generation to produce F 2  (second filial generation) seed;   j. regenerating F 2  seeds into F 2  plants;   k. growing F 2  plants to maturity and producing fruit;   l. evaluating fruits for lycopene content;   m. identifying F 2  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   n. selecting F 2  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the plants are evaluated for fruit lycopene concentration using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), spectrophotometric and colorimetric techniques. The concentration of fruit lycopene content is measured in μg lycopene/g fresh fruit. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of self-crossing the F 2  plants of step n for a sufficient number of generations, and in each generation identifying and selecting plants that are high in fruit lycopene content, to ultimately obtain plants that are fixed for genes (QTLs) contributing to high fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits for commercial production. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of backcrossing the selected F 2  plants in step n with various  Solanum lycopersicum  plants for a sufficient number of generations to obtain  Solanum lycopersicum  plants of fresh-market and processing tomato backgrounds that are high in fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of self-crossing or backcrossing the selected F 2  plants with various  Solanum lycopersicum  plants to develop different types of tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, plum (Roma type) tomatoes, medium and large round fresh market tomatoes, and processing tomatoes, that are high in fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the resulting filial and backcross progeny plants are evaluated for fruit lycopene concentration using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), spectrophotometric and colorimetric techniques. The concentration of fruit lycopene content is measured in μg lycopene/g fresh fruit. 
   
   
       22 . Commercially acceptable tomato plants including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, plum (Roma type) tomatoes, medium and large round fresh market tomatoes, and processing tomatoes, that are high in fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits are produced by the method of  claim 16 . 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of self-crossing the F 2  plants of step n for a sufficient number of generations and producing mapping populations for identifying and genetic mapping of genes (QTLs) for high fruit lycopene content. For example, mappings are done in F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 7 , F 8 , F 9 , and F 10  generations and genes (QTLs) for high fruit lycopene content are identified and mapped. 
   
   
       24 . Seeds have been produced by plants of  claim 23 . 
   
   
       25 . A method of producing seeds that result in tomato plants with high fruit lycopene content, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a  Solanum pimpinellifolium  plant designated as LA2093 having ATCC Accession No. ______;   b. crossing the  Solanum pimpinellifolium  plant provided in step a with a  Solanum lycopersicum  plant;   c. collecting the seeds resulting from the cross in step b;   d. regenerating the seeds into plants and producing F 1  (first filial generation) plants;   e. growing F 1  plants to maturity and producing fruit;   f evaluating fruits for lycopene content;   g. identifying F 1  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   h. selecting F 1  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   i. self-crossing F 1  plants for one generation to produce F 2  (second filial generation) seed;   j. regenerating F 2  seeds into F 2  plants;   k. growing F 2  plants to maturity and producing fruit;   l. evaluating fruits for lycopene content;   m. identifying F 2  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   n. selecting F 2  plants which are high in fruit lycopene content;   o. self-crossing the F 2  plants of step n for a sufficient number of generations, and in each generation identifying and selecting plants that are high in fruit lycopene content, to ultimately obtain plants that are fixed for genes (QTLs) contributing to high fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits for commercial production.   p. backcrossing the F 2  plants in step n with various  Solanum lycopersicum  plants having desirable phenotypic traits for a sufficient number of generations to obtain  Solanum lycopersicum  plants of fresh-market and processing tomato backgrounds that are high in fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits.   q. self-crossing or backcrossing the selected F 2  plants with various  Solanum lycopersicum  plants to develop different types of tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, plum (Roma type) tomatoes, medium and large round fresh market tomatoes, and processing tomatoes, that are high in fruit lycopene content and have desirable phenotypic traits.   r. self-crossing the F 2  plants of step n for a sufficient number of generations and producing mapping populations for identifying and genetic mapping of genes (QTLs) for high fruit lycopene content. For example, mappings are done in F 2 , and F 7 , generations.   
   
   
       26 . A method of introgressing the trait of higher than average lycopene content into a tomato plant comprising:
 performing marker-assisted selection for a QTL on chromosome 7 and/or chromosome 12 which is associated with high lycopene content.