Chimeric Apple: A Study of Morphological and Biochemical Variations
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Authors
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KUMAR
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Dharam Paul Sharma
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Pankaj Kumar
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Pramod Verma
Abstract
Chimeras are generally derived from spontaneous bud sport mutations in plants whose tissues are made up of two or more types of
cells with different genetic makeup. The apple, one of the most well-known fruits, is very prone to these spontaneous mutations or
chimeras. In this study, we discovered a half-red and half-green colouring spontaneous apple chimera 'JCS' from the cultivar 'Royal
Delicious' in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Apple chimera 'JCS' also showed variation in different morphological and
biochemical characters as compared to its parent tree. Spontaneous chimeras with different colour combinations may attract
consumers and also may be a vital resource for revealing molecular mechanisms, and might be employed in future apple breeding
programmes.
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