Functional cybrid plants of Lycopersicon peruvianum var 'dentatum ' with chloroplasts of Lycopersicon esculentum.

Fertile cybrid plants of three subclones, B1A, B3A, B4A were regenerated from the single colony obtained after the fusion of mesophyll protoplasts of plastome chlorophyll-deficient mutant Lycopersicon peruvianum var 'dentatum' (line 3767) and γ-irradiated mesophyll protoplasts of L. esculentum (cv 'Quedlinburger Frühe Liebe'). Cytogenetic, isozyme, RAPD, morphological and restriction analyses all showed that the subclones had the nuclear genome of L. peruvianum var 'dentatum' and plastome genome of L. esculentum, while the mitochondrial genome was altered. No phenotypical traits that could be taken as evidence of plastome-genome incompatibility in the cybrid subclones were observed. Genetic functionality of all subclones was proven by the backcrossing analysis. To study the functionality of the cybrid plants we also carried out an analysis of their photosynthetic system. Data on chlorophyll-a and -b content, analyses of the fluorescence induction curves, intensity of CO assimilation, pigment-protein complexes and polypeptides of thylakoid membranes showed the absence of structural and functional abnormalities in the photosynthetic apparatus of the cybrid plants. We concluded that the plastome of L. esculentum is able to effectively interract with the nuclear genome of L. peruvianum var 'dentatum' and together with the recombined chondriome can support genetic functionality of cybrid plants of the peruvianum tomato.