An Analysis of Seed Development in Pisum sativum II. The Effect of the r-Locus on the Growth and Development of the Seed*

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Abstract
The r-locus is one of the few genetic loci known to affect the storage product composition and the morphology of pea (Pisum sativum) seeds. Lines which are near-isogenic except for the r-locus have been developed to study the effects of this locus on seed development. The plant phenotypes of these lines were very similar except for those characteristics previously attributed to the r-locus. The seed development of the two lines followed similar patterns until the endosperm was absorbed by the embryo. The fresh weight of the rr line then increased more rapidly due to the overall effect of a higher rate of water uptake and a lower rate of dry weight increase of the rr embryos compared with embryos homozygous for the R-allele. The effect of the r-locus on the relationship between embryo fresh weight and dry weight suggests that the alleles may be affecting the osmotic regulation of the developing embryo.

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