The objective of this work was to characterize physiological aspects of micro-tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum P. Miller cv. Micro-Tom) phytochrome-mutants. Plants of Micro-Tom cultivar and aurea (deficient in phytochrome chromophore biosynthesis), high pigment1 (hp1) and atroviolacea (atv) (both super express phytochrome events-mediated) mutants were cultivated under controlled light and temperature and evaluated in flowering stage. The hp1 mutant expressed the highest rates of potential photosynthesis and also the content of total carotenoids. Aurea mutant maintained similar potential photosynthesis rates as the Micro-Tom cultivar, even containing low chlorophyll content, and expressed the highest content of nitrogen among all micro-tomatoes studied. Total soluble sugars were lower in aurea and hp1 mutants. The atv mutant expressed the highest content of chlorophylls and also the lowest rate of chlorophyll a/b.
Lycopersicon esculentum; Micro-Tom; photosynthetic pigment; photosynthesis
