Somatic hybridization in Nicotiana: Restoration of photoautotrophy to an albino mutant with defective plastids
Glimelius, K.; Bonnett, H.T.
Planta 153(6): 497-503
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0032-0935 PMID: 24275866 DOI: 10.2307/23375348
Accession: 000982676
Protoplasts of a cytoplasmic albino mutant of N. tabacum 'Turkish Samsun' (2n = 48), characterized by a deficient chloroplast genome, were fused with protoplasts of a nitrate reductase deficient mutant (NR-) of N. tabacum 'Gratersleben' (n = 24). After initial nonselective culture, NR- mutant protoplasts were excluded by transfer to reduced nitrogen-deficient medium. Differences in morphology and pigmentation allowed selection for photoautotrophy at the callus level. Using these procedures, somatic hybrids and cybrids, in which deficient plastids of the albino mutant were replaced by normal chloroplasts from the NR- mutant, were obtained.