Lessons learned from the Solanaceae

Domestication of the Solanaceae has been driven by a small number of mutations (e.g., the fruit weight locus on chromosome 2).

The comparative genomics approach has allowed questions to be addressed where reliance on one species alone would have failed.

This sharing of information is especially important, because while the tomato genome is being sequenced (see http://www.sgn.cornell.edu/ ), the eggplant genome is unlikely to be sequenced in the near future. However, the good understanding of the eggplant - tomato relationship achieved will allow eggplant researchers to take advantage of the tomato genome sequence, as it emerges.