Allotriploid somatic hybrids were obtained from fusions between protoplasts of diploid tomato and monohaploid potato. The selection of fusion products was carried out in two different ways: (1) The fusion of nitrate reductase-deficient tomato with potato gave rise only to hybrid calli if selection was performed on media lacking ammonium. Parental microcalli were rarely obtained and did not regenerate. (2) The fusion of cytoplasmic albino tomato with potato gave rise to albino and green hybrid calli and plants. Allotriploids were identified from the two somatic hybrid populations by counting chloroplast numbers in leaf guard cells and by flow cytometry of leaf tissue. Although some pollen fertility of allotriploids and pollen-tube growth of tomato, potato andLycopersicon pennellii into the allotriploid style were observed, no progeny could be obtained. The relevance of allotriploid somatic hybrids in facilitating limited gene transfer from potato to tomato is discussed.

Protoplasts of two 'leaky' nitrate reductase deficient and thus nitrate auxotrophic (NAR) mutants of tomato and their wild types, were fused with protoplasts of monoploid potato. In all four combinations hybrid calli grew more vigorously than parental calli and this somatic hybrid vigour as such provided a useful enrichment for somatic hybrids. Selection against nitrate auxotrophy further increased the efficiency of the enrichment, particularly if a molybdenum cofactor mutation was used as the basis for the selection. It is concluded that the nitrate auxotrophy of these NAR mutants is sufficiently expressed at the level of the cell, to allow its use in somatic hybridization experiments with potato.