Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici interaction. A review

Abstract

The interaction between plants and pathogens is a very dynamic and complex relationship that also includes a high degree of specifi city, and it is precisely this last characteristic which triggers such important responses in the survival of one or the other. The pathosystem formed by tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) has been the subject of multiple studies due to the importance of the vegetable worldwide and for the economic and ecological impact of the fungus responsible for the vascular wilt disease in tomato, causing losses that go up to 100%. One way to fi nd alternatives for the management of any pathosystem is to know the actors involved and the mechanisms that govern the interaction through technological and scientifi c advances that clearly show how the interaction develops on a genetic level. This review collects the information from different scientifi c sources with focus on the knowledge of the fungus, tomato cultivation and plant defense applied to this pathosystem, as well as the molecular mechanisms.