Identification of Recessive Gene Heterozygotes by means of Paper-Partition Chromatography

Abstract

PAPER-PARTITION chromatography of tissues of genetically known strains of Drosophila melanogaster as well as those of certain plants has shown that each strain gives a constant and distinctive pattern. The chromatographic patterns of heterozygotes carrying recessive genes can be easily distinguished from those of either parental homozygous strain, even though the phenotype of the heterozygote is indistinguishable from that of the homozygous dominant. This is the case for: (a) the fluorescent patterns observed under ultra-violet light in the chromatograms of adult Drosophila melanogaster heterozygous for the following mutants: bent, eyeless², short-vein, spineless-aristapedia, vestigial; (b) the ultra-violet-fluorescent and the ninhydrin-positive patterns of root-tip smears of heterozygotes for the mutant male-sterile² in tomato¹; (c) the ultra-violet-fluorescent and the ninhydrin-positive patterns of root-tip smears and leaf extracts of heterozygotes for the yellow-green mutant of musk melon² (see also chromatogram).