Inheritance of Male‐Sterile Mutant ms13 in American Pima Cotton

Abstract

Morphological mutants of cotton (Gossypium spp.) have been used extensively as markers in genetic mapping studies and in several instances have proven usedul in agronomic improvement efforts. This investigation was conducted to determine the inheritance, allelism, and linkage associations of a spontaneous, male‐sterile mutant found in plants of American Pima (G. barbadense L.) cotton. Analyses of F1, F2, and BC populations of the mutant indicate that it is inherited as a single, recessive gene. Tests for allelism of the new gene with three previously descirbed recessive male‐sterility genes (ms1, ms2, crosses to 23 mutant marker stocks produced no evidence of linkage associations. Expression of the new male sterility gene was stable and complete in the field and greenhouse environemtns of Maricopa, AZ. We propose that the male sterility mutant be designated male sterile‐13 and be given the gene symbol ms13.