A miniature tomato cv. Micro-Tom is an excellent model plant to study plant-pathogen interactions
Kikuchi, M., Fukushima, S., Ishikawa R.*, Takahashi, H.**, Teraoka, T., Arie, T.

Abstract

Micro-Tom is a miniature dwarf tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cultivar bred by University of Florida.1) We found that fungal pathogens, Athelia rolfsii, Botryotinia fuckeliana, Oidium sp., Phytophthora infestans, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum developed typical symptoms on Micro-Tom. However, Alternaria alternata, Corynespora cassiicola, and Fusarium oxysporum ff. sp. lycopersici and radicis-lycopersici did not cause diseases on Mirco-Tom. Therefore, an assortment of Micro-Tom -pathogen systems should provide excellent models for studying the mechanism of susceptible and resistant interactions between plants and pathogens.2) Foliar treatment of Micro-Tom with plant activators, such as validamycin A and validoxylamine A, controlled powdery mildew caused by Oidium sp., suggesting that Micro-Tom is a good model plant to study induced resistance by plant activators.
1) Scott and Harbaugh, Florida Agric. Exp. Sta. Circ. S-370, 1 (1989). 2) Takahashi et al, J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 71, 8 (2005).

*Sumitomo Chemical Co.
**Tohoku University

11th IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistryi2006.8, KobejOral and Poster