Somatic hybridization in Petunia : Part 2: heteroplasmic state in somatic hybrids followed by cytoplasmic segregation into male sterile and male fertile lines.

Two types of cytoplasmic hybrids were obtained by protoplast fusion. These contained either one or the other original parental nucleus and heteroplasmon, a mix of plasmons inducing cytoplasmic male sterility and fertility. In subsequent generations, following selfing, stable male sterile and male fertile lines segregated from single fertile cytoplasmic hybrid plants. These data demonstrated the existence of a heteroplasmic state in the somatic hybrids and the occurrence of cytoplasmic segregation of the heteroplasmon into homoplasmons following the first and the second meiotic cycles.