MUTATION IN CHLOROPLAST DNA CODING FOR THE LARGE SUBUNIT OF FRACTION-1 PROTEIN CORRELATED WITH MALE-STERILITY IN COTTON

Backcrossing the genome of Gossypium arboreum ''A2 47'' into the cytoplasm of G. anomalum produces plants with double flowers caused by a completely petaloid androecium. Fraction 1 protein of petaloid plants has large subunit polypeptides like G. anomalum, the source of the cytoplasm, and small subunit polypeptides like G. arboreum, the recurrent backcross parent.sbd.a correlation previously found for male-sterile N. tabacum displaying stamen abnormalities. Pollination of petaloid parents with G. anomalum restores normal stamen structure and G. anomalum small subunit polypeptides in all of the progeny. Interaction between heterologous chloroplast and nuclear genes could be responsible for the form of male sterility where stamens do not differentiate normal anthers.