Abstract
In order to transfer resistance to Pseudomonas solanacearum from Solanum integrtfolium Poir. (Hiranasu) to S. melongena L. (cv. Shironasu), somatic cell fusion was carried out. The protoplasts derived from cultured cells of S. melongena were treated with 1.0 mM iodoacetamide solution for 15 min. at 5°C, and fused with mesophyll protoplasts of S. integrifolium by dextran method. The protoplasts, which were cultured in MS medium (MURASHIGE and SKOOG, 1962) containing 6-benzylaminopurine (1 mg/l), naphthaleneacetic acid (1 mg/l) and glucose (50 g/l) developed to 4 cell colonies after about 8 weeks. Each colony regenerated plants 2 to 3 weeks later. The characteristics of the regenerated plants were confirmed by morphological studies and isoelectric focusing of acid phosphatase. Resistance to P. solanacearum was tested by culturing offsprings from self-pollinated fertile plants (RW-4) in the solution added P. solanacearum. Some of the offsprings from RW-4 were more resistant than parents. From the present results, it was demonstrated that the selection of somatic hybrids by utilizing the inactivation of S. melongena protoplasts with iodoacetamide and the low cell division ability of S. integrifolium was effective and resistance to P. solanacearum could be transfcrred to S. melongena through protoplast fusion.
