Maternal inheritance
- To: i*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Maternal inheritance
- From: "* A* B* <r*@jove.acs.unt.edu>
- Date: Fri, 22 Mar 1996 07:55:46 -0600 (CST)
Tom said:
> Of course, one would expect chloroplast DNA to be inherited maternally.
I thought so too, but there was some question in the discussion about
whether this was the case and Arnold's comments indicate that its not the
case in all plants.
> The question we'd really like some juicy info on is whether any genes
> for horticulturally significant traits are inherited maternally. Leaf
> variegation is a likely candidate, since it is inherited cytoplasmically
> in related plants.
Is leaf variegation inherited in monocots? In some (most or all?)
diocots it appears to be caused by formation of a chimera by a somatic
mutation or other mechanism. The variegation is not an inherited trait,
and is passed on only vegetatively. (see:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/
syllabi/clasnotes/201notes/chimeralec/chimeras.html)
> But I think speculation about maternal inheritance
> in flower characteristics is way out on a limb. The fuzzy area is with
> things like vigor and size of the the vegetative growth.
I don't know why vigor coudn't have a maternally inherited componant.
Afterall, the Chloroplast and the mitochondria provide the fuel and
energy for the system.
> Call me old
> fashioned, but I'm inclined to think nuclear DNA dominates these traits.
I think I've read that nuclear DNA can also be influenced by the parent,
but I've been unable to find my reference, and I don't remember the
proposed mechanism. Drat!
Rodney
Rbarton@jove.acs.unt.edu
