Comparison of lethal and semilethal chlorophyll mutants characterized by different expression of genes responsible for colour of leaves in winter rye(Secale cereale L.)

Two groups of chlorophyll mutants of winter rye i.e. lethal and semilethal were compared in the present studies. Plants of the first group were charac terized by pink orange or light violet colour of leaves at the seedlings st age. Plants with light green leaves, with yellow necrotic spots on leaves, or with white pattern and necrotic spots on leaves belonged to the second s emilethal group. While plastids in pink and violet mutants were deprived of internal membrane organization in orange ones they had single thylakoids. In the second group of plants granal and intergranal thylakoids were presen t although the number of grana was reduced. The above changes in the plasti d ultrastructure were accompanied by a lack of chlorophylls in pink, orange and light violet plants or strong reduction of both chlorophylls a and b i n the remaining mutants. All the described features were inherited by singl e recessive genes.