Structural analyses of the tomato genome

Over the last 10 years, considerable efforts have been undertaken to develop genomic resources in tomato, including genomic clones, physical maps, DNA markers, mapping populations, and genetic linkage maps. Such resources facilitate the investigation of genome structure and gene functions, and the identification of genes of agronomic importance. In parallel, an international project with the participation of over 90 groups from 14 countries has been utilizing these resources to proceed with the deciphering of all of the genetic information carried by tomato. With the aid of new sequencing technologies and sophisticated bioinformatics, sequencing of the whole genome of tomato was successfully completed and the results were published in May 2012. The resulting large number of DNA markers, high-density linkage maps, and information on the structure and function of almost all of the gene components in the tomato genome are expected to contribute to a wide variety of biological fields by accelerating the processes of identification, isolation, and functional assignment of genes of interest, understanding of the evolutional process of Solanaceae and other plants, and breeding of new varieties with better agronomic traits.