Sex-conversion from male to female during somatic embryogenesis from protoplasts in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)

Sex-converting mutation from male to female was identified during somatic embryogenesis from protoplasts in asparagus. Although modification of allozyme genotypes from heterozygous to homozygous occurred in three loci, Mdh-1, Mdh-2 and Idh-1, accompanied with sex conversion, genotypes of sex-converted and control plants in Pgm-1 and Skdh-1 loci were identically heterozygous. Relative DNA contents of sex-converted and control plants estimated by flow cytometric analysis were similar, and gametophytic fertility of the sex-converting mutant as female parent was also confirmed by artificial pollination. From these results, the sex-conversion in the current study might be the result of the somatic mutation, such as somatic crossing-over, one of the chromosomal rearrangements.