Transformation of Tomato

Since 1986, when Beachy and coworkers (1 ) first published a protection of transgenic tobacco plants expressing the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein (CP) against TMV infection, transgenic plants have become an important tool in plant virology. Coat protein transgenic plants have been used successfully to obtain protection against many different plant viruses (2 ). In addition, transgenic plants expressing viral gene products can be used to study the function of one particular gene in the viral life cycle or in the interaction with specific host plants.