Experimentally induced heritable changes in chloroplast numbers in the leaf cells of ryegrasses.
1989
Jones R.N. | Hassan L. | Francis H.A. | Parker J.S. | Posselt U.K.
A three-hour burst of colchicine treatment given to one week-old seedlings of inbred lines of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Italian ryegras (Lolium multiflorum) induces heritable changes in several developmental characters in undoubled diploids. Changes in agronomic traits include an increase in tiller number (up to 100%), increases in fresh and dry weights of leaf material (up to 100%) and a reduction in the number of days taken to flowering when compared with the isogenic untreated controls. These changes are evident in the treatment generation and are also transmitted without diminution through a selfed-seed generation; and in vegetative propagation they are stable over at least seven years by tillering. Recently it was found that these colchicine-induced changes also affect the chloroplast organisation of leaf cells. In some of the inbred lines the colchicine-treated diploids have an increased number of chloroplasts per cell in excess of 30% when compared with their isogenic diploid controls. These changes are independent of cell area variations and have been recorded in the selfed-seed generation following that in which the treatment was given.
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