Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. THE INDUCTION OF LINCOMYCIN RESISTANCE IN LYCOPERSICON PERUVIANUM

Lincomycin-resistant calli were induced from both Lycopersicon esculentum and Lycopersicon peruvianum using N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) mutagenesis. From these calli lincomycin-resistant plants were regenerated. For L. peru~ianum it was shown that the resistant plants could be divided in two classes with respect to their resistance to lincomycin and its derivative clindamycin. The first class comprised plants which were resistant to 500 mg/l lincomycin and showed no shoot or root formation in the presence of clindamycin; the second class consisted of plants resistant to 2000 mg/l lincomycin and these plants were able to form shoots and roots on clindamyein containing media. Lincomyein is an inhibitor of peptidyltransferase; chloroplast encoded parts of this enzymatic function are sensitive for this antibiotic. Reciprocal crosses between our lincomy-cin resistant and wild type L. peruvianum plants indicated a maternal inheritance ofthe mutation. Key words: Lycopersicon; mutagenesis; protoplasts; invitro selection; lineomycin resistance; maternal inheritance