Proteomics of Seeds of Tomato Resistant and Susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita Meher H.C., Sharma S.B., Singh G. Division of Nematology, I.A.R.I., New Delhi 110 012, India Abstract Seed proteomics of tomato cultivars, 2 susceptible and 12 resistant to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita were analyzed in terms of soluble proteins by resolution in SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and esterase isozyme phenotypes in alkaline PAGE for use as resistant markers. Protein profile of tomato seeds revealed a maximum of 16 bands in cultivar PAU-11 and minimum of 1 in cultivar PAU-13. Seven major bands of proteins of molecular weight (mw) 2.5 to 85.9 kD could segregate 9 resistant cultivars PAU-8, PAU-11, PAU-12, PAU-13, PAU-14, Hisar Lalit, Raunak, 5-SR and Rutger) from the susceptible ones. Three bands of mw (kD) 44.8 in PAU-9, 186.3 in Nemamukt and 205.5 in PbNR-7, were absent in resistant but present in susceptible cultivars. Four diagnostic bands of esterase activities could be detected in resistant cultivars (Rm 0.14 in Rutger, 0.43 in PbNR-7, 0.64 in Nemamukt and 0.75 in PAU-13 as against esterase bands of Rm 0.23 and 0.54 in susceptible Pusa Early Dwarf and two additional bands of Rm 0.29 and 0.41 in Pusa Ruby cultivars. Esterase band of Rm 0.23 was absent in Nemamukt, PAD-8, PAU-11, PAU-13, PAU-14, Raunak and 5-SR; 0.29 in PAD-II, PAU-12, PAD-13, Raunak and 5-SR and of Rm 0.41 in Nemamukt, PAD-II, PAU-12, Raunak, Rutger and 5-SR. The studies revealed ample potential of soluble proteins and esterase isozymes for use as M. incognita resistant markers in Lycopersicon esculentum. Top Key words Lycopersicon esculentum, Meloidogyne incognita, Proteomics, Resistant markers. Top |