Interchange Heterozygosity in an Yellow Leaf Mutant of Capsicum annuum L

Abstract

An yellow leaf mutant exhibiting interchange heterozygosity was located in the hybrid population (ms×960) of C. annuum. The mutant was weak and less vigorous with long narrow and yellow coloured leaves. The interchange quadruple was observed in 74.66% of cells of which the ring quadruples were more predominant compared to the chain type. The mean chiasma frequency per cell was 20.63 as against 15.72 in control plants. The tetrad stage manifested many variations such as pentads and hexads with several micronuclei in 12.71% of the cells. The progeny of the mutant plant segregated in 1:1 ratio for normal and mutant condition. The frequency of cells with interchange multiple was reduced in mutant plants of second generation. It was observed that reduction in the frequency of interchange quadruple was associated with the concommitant decrease in yellow colouration of leaves. The possibilities of association of the interchange complex with the phenotypic expression are discussed.