A Novel Tomato Fusarium Wilt Tolerance Gene

The reduced mycorrhizal colonization ( ) tomato mutant is unable to form mycorrhiza and is more susceptible to Fusarium wilt compared with its wild-type isogenic line 76R. The mutant has a chromosomal deletion affecting five genes, one of which is similar to Loss of this gene is responsible for non-mycorrhizality in but not enhanced Fusarium wilt susceptibility. Here, we describe assessment of a second gene in the deletion, designated that is expressed in roots. Sequence analyses show that encodes a small transmembrane protein with putative phosphorylation and glycosylation sites. It is predicted to be localized in the plasma membrane and may function in transmembrane ion transport and/or as a cell surface receptor. Complementation and knock-out strategies were used to test its function. Some putative CRISPR/Cas-9 knock-out transgenic events exhibited Fusarium wilt susceptibility like and some putative complementation lines were 76R-like, suggesting that the tomato functions in Fusarium wilt tolerance. This is the first study to demonstrate that is the contributor to the locus, conferring tolerance to Fusarium wilt in 76R which was lost in