Expression of nuclear and cytoplasmic genes in the progeny of a somatic hybrid between male sterile Nicotiana tabacum and N. glutinosa.

Abstract

A somatic hybrid plant between N. tabacum with N. debneyi cytoplasm and N. glutinosa was crossed with N. tabacum cv. Samsun pollen. Resulting individuals were further backcrossed with the same pollen donor in 2 successive generations. Analyses of polypeptide compositions of Fraction I protein contained in progenies of backcross generations indicated that the large subunit type was never changed and was identical to the original hybrid from N. glutinosa type, and at the 3rd backcrossing, the N. glutinosa type small subunit disappeared. A male sterile character, a stigmatic-antheroid lacking anthers, appearing in a somatic hybrid was a cytoplasmic event, and was consistently inherited in the backcross generations.