High-resolution linkage analysis and physical characterization of the EIX-responding locus in tomato

An ethylene-inducing xylanase (EIX) from Tricohoderma viride is a potent elicitor of ethylene biosynthesis, localized cell death and other defense responses in specific cultivars of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Wild species of tomato, such as Lycopersicon cheesmanii and Lycopersicon pennellii, do not respond to EIX treatment. The F₁ progeny of a L. esculentum x L. cheesmanii and a L. esculentum x L. pennellii cross responded to EIX treatment with an increase in ethylene biosynthesis and the induction of localized cell death. The F₂ progeny of the above mentioned crosses segregated 3:1 (responding:non-responding). We mapped the EIX-responding locus (Eix) to the short arm of chromosome 7 using a population of introgression lines (ILs), containing small RFLP-defined chromosome segments of L. pennellii introgressed into L. esculentum. RFLP analysis of 990 F₂ plants that segregated for the introgressed segment mapped the Eix locus 0.1 cM and 0.9 cM from the flanking markers TG61 and TG131, respectively. Using the marker TG61 we isolated a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clone that carries 300-kb DNA segments derived from the Eix region. By mapping the ends of this YAC clone we show that it spans the Eix locus. Thus, positional cloning of the Eix locus appears feasible.