Mangrove Genetics. III. Pigment Fingerprints of Chlorophyll-Deficient Mutants

Abstract

The homozygous albino offspring from 11 different red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle) heterozygous for albinism were pigment fingerprinted by HPLC/diode-array spectroscopy. The majority of albino genotypes were deficient in suites of chlorophylls, xanthophylls, and carotenes. A total of five different chemical phenotypes was distinguished. In red mangroves, genetic load due to homozygosity for chlorophyll deficiency follows Muller's mutation load model; i.e., small load contributions are made by many different loci. The average load contribution is 1.3 x 10-4 homozygous albino offspring per locus.