Isolation of signaling mutants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

As a first step towards developing a genetic system for investigating signaling processes in plants, we have developed a screen for signaling mutants deficient in a wound response. We have isolated two mutants of tomato that lack detectable production of proteinase inhibitors induced systemically in leaves by wounding. The mutants are deficient in the induction of both proteinase Inhibitor I and proteinase Inhibitor II but can be induced to respond at near wild-type levels by methyl jasmonate, a known elicitor of inhibitor production in tomato. While completely deficient in systemic production of proteinase inhibitors, both mutants produce some proteinase inhibitor in wounded leaves. This evidence suggests the existence of two signaling pathways, one local and one systemic, that regulate the induction of proteinase inhibitor synthesis in response to wounding.