Question

in chloroplasts, the gene for the photosynthetic enzyme rubisco can be mutated. leaf cells with chloroplasts carrying this mutation will appear white due to the absence of photosynthesis. leaves with a mixture of mutated and non-mutated chloroplasts show heteroplasmy, with green and white variegation. the rubisco gene is inherited from the mother. if the mother plant is variegated and the father plant has fully green leaves, which types of leaves can be seen among the offspring? multiple choice question. green, white, and variegated variegated only green only variegated and green but not white green and white but not variegated white only

Answer 1

Offspring of a variegated mother plant and a father plant with green leaves can have variegated or green leaves due to maternal inheritance of the rubisco gene in chloroplasts, but not white leaves.

Step-by-step explanation:

The inheritance of the rubisco gene in chloroplasts is maternal, so offspring will receive their chloroplasts with this gene from the mother plant. Since the mother plant is variegated, which means it contains both mutated (non-functional) and non-mutated (functional) chloroplasts, the offspring can also exhibit this variegation. However, they will not inherit any chloroplasts from the father plant, which has fully green leaves. Thus, the types of leaves that can be seen among the offspring can be either variegated or green but not white, because white leaves would indicate a total absence of functional chloroplasts, which is not the case for the offspring of a variegated mother and a green-leaved father.