Summary
The conditions for the induction and stabilisation of environmentally induced changes in flax, and the characterisation of these changes for six characters have been reviewed. A model for the induction and expression of these changes has been proposed. The environmental conditions for the successful induction of heritable changes comprise at least two components; a specific inducing component, for example a particular fertiliser treatment, which is required to induce the change, and a general inducing component, providing for vigorous healthy growth, which is necessary for the induced changes to be inherited. Stable induced changes require appropriate environments for their maintenance, for example heated greenhouses for the first 5 weeks of seedling growth and adequate pot size. Under certain growth conditions the induced changes can themselves be modified. DNA differences induced in the different genotrophs can occur at a number of sites within the genome, including the ribosomal RNA cistrons. Environmental induction causes changes in the isozyme band patterns of peroxidase, acid phosphatase and esterase isozymes. The genotrophs behave as distinct genetic types in crosses, with a complex pattern of inheritance of the hairy septa character. The association between the different induced characters is examined. All the genotrophs can be distinguished from each other on at least one of the six characters. A model for the induction of the DNA changes, involving a type of IS-element has been proposed. The expression of the induced changes, in terms of altered numbers of copies of particular sequences at specific sites within the genome, has been considered.
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Cullis, C. Molecular aspects of the environmental induction of heritable changes in flax. Heredity 38, 129–154 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.19
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