Graft-Induced Changes in Eg*"plant (Solanum melongena L.) I. 'of the Hypocotyl Color in the Grafted Scions and in the Pro*"enies from the Scions.

Abstract

In order to make it clear whether graft-induced changes could be identified, two eggplant cultivars, Shinkuronasu and Shironasu, were grafted in reciprocal combinations. The seedling and fruit graftings were performed, applying the so-called "Mentor method". The changes in hypocotyl color observed both in the grafted scions and in the progenies, derived from them, were either from DD(dark purple, Shinkuronasu type) or from dd (green, Shironasu type) to Dd(purple) in many cases. In addition, the unexpedted changes from dd to DD and Dd in G1S1SH/SK(S)-7 and from DD to dd in G2S2SK/SH(S)-4-22 were also found. The ratio of the changes in hypocotyl color was 1.44% (93/6469) in total, which was very high. Furthermore, non-Mendelian segregation ratios for the hypocotyl color were found in the progenies from the grafted scions. The phenomena observed in the present experiment were similar to those of transforma-tion in higher plants such as Petunia and Arabidopsis.