A Virus‐like Syndrome in Tomato Caused by a Mutation

Edwardson, J. R., and M. K. Corbett. (Florida Agric. Expt. Sta., Gainesville.) A virus‐like syndrome in tomato caused by a mutation. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(6): 571–575. Illus. 1962.—A mutation in the ‘Marglobe’ tomato variety, similar in appearance to tomatoes infected with strains of cucumber mosaic virus or tobacco mosaic virus, was found in 1959. The ‘Marglobe’ mutant also closely resembles the phenotypes of the wiry series of tomato mutants in possessing narrow cotyledons, abnormal “wiry” leaves, reduced laminae of leaflets, divided sepals and petals, apocarpous ovaries and a high degree of female sterility. The appearance of the mutant is not attributable to virus infection because none of the mutant characters appeared in stock or scions of reciprocally grafted mutant and normal plants Segregation of the “wiry” phenotype in F2 and backcross populations indicates that the mutant phenotype is controlled by a single pair of recessive genes exhibiting marked pleiotropic effects.