Morphological traits and pollen fertility affected in transgenic tobacco plants

When variation of morphological traits was followed in 580 transgenic plant s of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), 5.5% of genotypes in the population un der study exhibited considerable changes (long styles, dwarfness, and male sterility). Longostyly was inherited as a trait linked to kanamycin resista nce, and this evidence supports the insertional nature of the changes obser ved. Two long-style mutant plants manifested specific blocks in pollen grai n maturation, thus indicating that pleiotropic mutations affected floral mo rphogenesis and development of microspores and gametes.