The Chlorophyll Mutants of Maize

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Abstract
A detailed study of the white, luteus (yellow), virescent, and pale green chlorophyll mutants of Zea mays revealed that a close correlation exists between plastid size and chlorophyll development in all but the luteus mutants. The chlorophylls were isolated chromatographically on a sugar column and analyzed with a Beckman spectrophotometer. All the luteus mutants studied were found to contain a small amt. of both chlorophylls a and b. In one of these mutants, the development of chlorophyll b is retarded. At 85[degree]F chlorophyll a precedes the synthesis of chlorophyll b by 4 days. At 65[degree]F the retardation extends over a period of 11-14 days. Abnormal plastids were observed in the parenchyma-sheath cells of the mutant plants and were thought to result from a distention by osmosis of the semi-permeable membrane surrounding the immature plastids. The chlorophylls were eliminated as the cause of the lethality of many pale green mutants, since both chlorophylls a and b were found to be present in the lethal as well as the viable mutants.