LeProT1, a Transporter for Proline, Glycine Betaine, and γ-Amino Butyric Acid in Tomato Pollen

During maturation, pollen undergoes a period of dehydration accompanied by the accumulation of compatible solutes.Solute import across the pollen plasma membrane, which occurs via proteinaceous transporters, is required to support pollen development and also for subsequent germination and pollen tube growth. Analysis of the free amino acid composition of various tissues in tomato revealed that the proline content in flowers was 60 times higher than in any other organ analyzed. Within the floral organs, proline was confined predominantly to pollen, where it represented >70 of total free amino acids. Uptake experiments demonstrated that mature as well as germinated pollen rapidly take up proline. To identify proline transporters in tomato pollen, we isolated genes homologous to Arabidopsis proline transporters. LeProT1 was specifically expressed both in mature and germinating pollen, as demonstrated by RNA in situ hybridization. Expression in a yeast mutant demonstrated that LeProT1 transports proline and γ-amino butyric acid with low affinity and glycine betaine with high affinity. Direct uptake and competition studies demonstrate that LeProT1 constitutes a general transporter for compatible solutes.

Appendix A. Gene identity within the cultivated species, and between the cultivated species and different wild species in tomato

High salinity is a severe constraint on tomato growth and productivity in many regions and situations. To obtain an ideal gene donor for improving the salt tolerance of tomato cultivars, the potential of tolerance response to salinity were evaluated for 14 tomato accessions including wild and cultivated species. By investigation of seed germination and seedling survival, a common cultivar, Solanum lycopersicum 'moneymaker', is evidenced significantly salt-tolerant among them and correspondingly, a wild accession, Solanum cheesmanniae 'LA0317', is most vulnerable to salinity. The performance of Moneymaker and LA0317 upon salinity was then compared in detail for their growth inhibition and some physiological changes. Complete dominance of Moneymaker and its high gene identity in tomato species lead us to use it in microarray experiment and apply it as gene donor for salt tolerance. The results indicated some mechanism differences between Moneymaker and LA0317 in salt response, proposed the potentially high salt tolerance of cultivated tomato and implied that Moneymaker is a valuable gene donor in this field, potentially minimizing the growth inhibition and yield reduction in transgenic plants.

Commercial feasibility of recovering tomato processing residuals for food use /

Mode of access: Internet.

Characterization of tomato varieties and strains for constituents of fruit quality /

Cover title.

How to grow the tomato : and 115 ways to prepare it for the table /

Cover title.

Tomato leaves : a potential alkaloid and sterol source /

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Profitable tomato fertilizers /

Caption title.

Components of variance method and partitioning method of genetic analysis applied to weight per fruit of tomato hybrid and parental populations /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-57).

Factors influencing the nutritive value of the tomato : a review of the literature /

Contribution from Bureau of Plant Industry.

Investigations of the tomato fruitworm : its seasonal history and methods of control /

Literature cited: p. 46-47.

Harold Vaughn Transplanting Tomato Plants

Saline Valley Farms was an experiment in cooperative farming and living begun in 1932 by Harold S. Gray.

The tomato,

"Selected references": p. 119-132.

Tomato industry of t

Mode of access: Internet.

Merit, red rock, and potomac : tomato varieties adapted to mechanical harvesting /

Mode of access: Internet.