# US 9,518,256 B2 · Tomato with improved shelf-life

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- Number: US 9,518,256 B2
- Document ID: US9518256B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/407,034
- Filed: 2012-02-28
- Published: 2012-08-23
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-09
- Assignees: Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt En Zaadhandel B.V.
- Applicants: Cornelis Maria Petrus Van Dun; Pieter Martijn Eggink; Dörthe Bettina Dräger
- Inventors: Cornelis Maria Petrus Van Dun; Pieter Martijn Eggink; Dörthe Bettina Dräger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518256B2

## CPC

- C12N 15/01: Preparation of mutants without inserting foreign genetic material therein; Screening processes therefor
- A01H 1/12: {Processes for modifying agronomic input traits, e.g. crop yield}
- A01H 5/08: Fruits
- A01H 6/825: {Solanum lycopersicum [tomato]}
- C12N 5/04: Plant cells or tissues {(culture media C12N5/0025)}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- A01H: NEW PLANTS OR {NON-TRANSGENIC} PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES

## Abstract

The invention relates to a tomato plant the fruits of which have an improved shelf-life as compared to the fruits of a wild type tomato plant, obtainable by introgressing the increased shelf life trait from the mutant LePQ58 (deposit accession number NCIMB 41531) into a tomato plant with a normal shelf-life. The increased shelf-life may comprise a fruit that shows normal ripening having a fruit firmness at red ripe harvest that is increased by at least 31%, preferably by at least 42%, more preferably by at least 52%, even more preferably by at least 60%, most preferably by at least 70% as compared to a fruit having similar genetic background that lacks the trait of the invention.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tomato plant of mutant variety LePQ58, representative seed of which was deposited under accession number NCIMB 41531.

### Claim 2

A method for producing a tomato plant the fruits of which have an improved shelf-life, comprising:
a) crossing a parent plant of mutant variety LePQ58, representative seed of which was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41531, with a second parent plant to obtain an F1 population;
b) selfing the plant from the F1 population to obtain F2 population;
c) selecting in said F2 for plants producing fruits that have an improvement in shelf-life as compared to the fruits of the second parent plant; and
d) optionally repeating steps b) and c).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A tomato fruit of the mutant LePQ58 plant of claim 1, wherein said fruit has an improved shelf-life as compared to the fruit of a plant not comprising the genetic information in mutant LePQ58 responsible for the improved shelf-life.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A propagation material of the plant of claim 1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The propagation material of claim 4, wherein the material comprises a microspore, pollen, ovary, ovule, embryo sac, egg cell, cutting, root, stem, cell, protoplast, tissue culture of regenerable cells, leaf, embryo, cotyledon, hypocotyl, meristematic cell, root tip, anther, flower, or seed.

### Claim 6

A germplasm of the mutant variety LePQ58, representative seed of which was deposited under accession number NCIMB 41531.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method for producing a tomato plant, comprising introgressing the germplasm of claim 6 into other germplasm in a breeding program, wherein the tomato plant produced in said breeding program comprises the genetic information from mutant LePQ58 responsible for producing fruit having an improved shelf-life as compared to the fruit of a plant not comprising the genetic information of mutant LePQ58.