Phenotypic and genetic characterization of tomato mutants provides new insights into leaf development and its relationship to agronomic traits.

Background: Tomato mutants altered in leaf morphology are usually identified in the greenhouse, which demands considerable time and space and can only be performed in adequate periods. For a faster but equally reliable scrutiny method we addressed the screening in vitro of 971 T-DNA lines. Leaf development was evaluated in vitro in seedlings and shoot-derived axenic plants.