Organ color mutants

Tomato, besides its importance as a crop, has a high ornamental value. Most tomato organ color mutants were selected by growers attracted to the novelty of different colors of fruits and, to a lesser extent, flowers. Such mutants proved to be excellent models to unravel the carotenoid biosynthesis pathways and the gene regulation driving pigment accumulation in specific organs (fruits, flowers) and organelles (chromoplasts). Please click on the name of each mutant to obtain information about its molecular identity (gene function, if known) and its phenotype (gene effect of a given allele).

Uniform ripening (U) - wild type allele

Beta carotene (B)

yellow flesh (r)

white flower (wf)

Delta carotene (Del)

tangerine (t)

Brilliant corolla (Bco)

colorless fruit epidermis (y)

crimson (og)

green flesh (gf)

green stripe (gs)

apricot (at)