Somatic hybridization between Nicotiana rustica and N. tabacum. IV. Analysis of nuclear and chloroplast genome expression in somatic hybrids

Abstract

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RUBPCase) from 14 Nicotiana rustica + N. tabacum somatic hybrid plants was isolated and subjected to isoelectric focussing after carboxymethylation. The resulting polypeptide banding pattern for the nuclear-encoded small subunit of the enzyme showed bands derived from both parental species whereas the banding pattern for the plastid-encoded large subunit showed bands characteristic of N. rustica or N. tabacum but not both species. Eleven plants expressed the chloroplast genome of N. rustica and three expressed N. tabacum chloroplast genes.