Lethal chlorophyll change resulting in a light-violet colour in winter rye (Secale cereale L.) seedlings

Abstract

This paper describes a lethal chlorophyll change characterized by light-violet seedlings, obtained after self-fertilization of a dwarf winter rye form from Jeleniec. The manner of inheritance of this mutation has been established. Genetic analysis of green and light-violet plant segregating frequences in inbred generations S₃ and S₄ has showed that the obtained split ratio approximates the theoretical ratio 3:1. This proves that the feature in question is determined by the recessive gene cl₃. The gene cl₃ is lethal as it results in the death of the seedlings 4 weeks after germination. In contrast to the membrane system characteristic for the chloroplasts, the mesophyll cells of mutants (light-violet in colour) contained plastids devoid of granal and intergranal thylakoids. Only fragments of lamellae, vesicles or light areas were present in the granular matrix of these plastids.