Exchange of genes through natural grafting

thegreenman

thegreenman

I've been wondering about my strange plants (see my gallery) that exibit different pod types and growth habits on a single plant, and then realized that I have been growing multiple unknown varieties from seed together from jiffy plugs, which may result in genetic exchange through natural grafting. see this pdf doc
 
I'm thinking this may account for a single plant that puts out pods that look like this
 
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1800]
as well as this 
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:1804]
which is growing on the very same branch. 
 
This may be an interesting source of new flavors/shapes/colors....
 
EDIT I''m adding all the doc links here in the first post. 
 
 The give-and-take of DNA: horizontal gene transfer in plants
 
HGT in Solanaceae
 

Molecular studies of inheritable grafting induced changes in pepper (Capsicun annuum) fruit shapehttp://www.researchgate.net/publica...anges_in_pepper_(Capsicun_annuum)_fruit_shape
 
I can't get that PDF link to work, though this shorter URL does - http://goo.gl/jyH4Cu
 
How many pods of each variation does the plant have?  Sometimes I find that a plant will just make the first few pods different than the rest... fuller, larger.
 
Are these different plants still growing together in the same (very close contact) soil?  I'm not so sure that only starting different seeds in the same jiffy pellet would account for natural grafting sufficient to cause different pods unless the two plants stayed together for the duration of their growth.  Then again I'm lazy and did not read that PDF.  ;)
 
Dave2000 said:
I can't get that PDF link to work, though this shorter URL does - http://goo.gl/jyH4Cu
 
How many pods of each variation does the plant have?  Sometimes I find that a plant will just make the first few pods different than the rest... fuller, larger.
 
Are these different plants still growing together in the same (very close contact) soil?  I'm not so sure that only starting different seeds in the same jiffy pellet would account for natural grafting sufficient to cause different pods unless the two plants stayed together for the duration of their growth.  Then again I'm lazy and did not read that PDF.  ;)
Click to expand...
I've now harvested a half dozen of pod type 1, and there are more growing and developing on the plant now, probably 15+ in total. 
There are only two pods with type 2 habit and both are on the same branch, However, more flowers are setting and it looks like more pods will soon follow.
Also there are a few of pod type 1 lower down on the same branch. 
 
Well I tried to make a video that shows this better, but It won't upload to youtube for some reason. Here is a pic of the stems in the pot. 
 
All of these seeds were supposed to be Chocolate Hab seeds, probably OP, but I didnt ask or care at the time. 
There are several shoots/plants in this pot, all growing from the Jiffy plug starter. I like to do at least 4 seeds per plug, sometimes as many as 8 when I have a lot of seeds, just so I don't have any dead plugs.
 
Plant 1 is the plant that is producing the two pod types. 
Plant 6 is producing chocolate Habs now.
Plant 5 has producing red habs but is now being overgrown.
Nothing else has flowered or fruited yet, and probably won't as they are being overgrown by Plant 1.  
 
 
Pepperfusion20130904131547-001.jpg

 
 
Below is a TL/DR version of the original pdf. And here is another published study that addresses horizontal gene transfer in Solanaceae. 
 
 
Horizontal transfer of organellar genes between plants
Plant–plant HGT is not restricted to nuclear genes. Over
the past six years, several studies have documented frequent
HGT of mitochondrial DNA sequences between distantly
related vascular plant species [82–88]. Two
peculiarities of plant mitochondria could make them
particularly receptive to the horizontal exchange of
DNA. They have an active homologous recombination
system and they readily undergo fusion [89–92] (reviewed
in Ref. [93]). Although plant mitochondria also appear to be
capable of importing naked DNA [62], fusion and recombi-

nation seem to provide a more straightforward mechanism
of HGT between mitochondria, not least because direct
cell–cell contact between donor and recipient species has
emerged as a probable part of the HGT mechanism. Many
of the published examples of mitochondrial HGT concern
donor and recipient species that are engaged in parasitic
[84,86,87] or epiphytic [85] interactions (Figure 1). In those
cases where no obvious parasitic, symbiotic or epiphytic
relationships are involved [66,82,83], natural grafting
could provide an alternative route of establishing cell–cell
contacts between unrelated plant species (Figure 1) [31].
The recent demonstration that large pieces of DNA, and
perhaps even entire organelles, can be transferred between
plant cells that contact each other [31] supports a mechanism
of mitochondrial HGT, in which whole mitochondria
are transferred and undergo fusion with mitochondria of
the recipient cell, followed by recombination between the
two mitochondrial genomes [92]. More research into the
molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA transfer
between plant cells will be required to test this model
rigorously. Also, alternative routes of plant–plant mitochondrial
HGT, most notably, vector-mediated transfer by
viruses, bacterial pathogens, endophytes or parasitic
plants with a broad host range, should not be dismissed
prematurely.
Click to expand...
 
IMG_20130902_095826.jpg
IMG_20130902_095804.jpg

Type 1 pods above with the Type 2 below. 
 
IMG_20130902_095839.jpg
IMG_20130902_095849.jpg
 
Adding More Info 
 
I found this interesting study done on Capsicum annuum. I can't get the full report as I don't have a .edu email. Any students here that can help?
 
 
J. Taller, Y. Hirata, N. Yagishita, M. Kita, S. Ogata
Theoretical and Applied Genetics (impact factor: 3.3). 09/1998; 97(5):705-713. DOI:10.1007/s001220050946



ABSTRACT  The general characteristics of several graft-induced changes in pepper were investigated in a cross experiment. F1, F2, and BC1 progenies derived from crosses of the original stock and scion cultivars ‘Spanish Paprika’ and ‘Yatsubusa’, respectively,
as well as their graft-induced variant strain G5S25 were analyzed for inheritance of the most conspicuous graft-induced variant traits. As part of a research program with the
aim of revealing the mechanism of graft induction, the present study was carried out to examine the stability of the phenotypic
changes and the characteristics of the graft-induced variants. For the fruit apex, a two-gene system was suggested, with other
factors having a modifying influence. One of the two apex genes acted for pointed fruits and the other for inverted-blunt
fruits. The inverted-blunt gene, the apex gene of the stock, was unambiguously present in the graft-induced variants, while
the pointed gene that acted in the dominant mode in the original scion was inactive and expressed only under certain conditions
in a mosaic state. The stable inverted-blunt cultivar used for the stock maintained certain factor(s) for pointed fruit, but
the presence of that factor(s) could not be detected in graft-induced variants. The results of pungency analysis suggested
a gene for non-pungency that appeared to be introduced in the graft-induced variants. The fruiting habit and fruiting direction
that appeared in a mosaic state in graft-induced variants were found to combine factors of the stock with the appropriate
characteristics of the scion asymmetrically. The bushy plant type appeared in a transgressive state in the variants, showing
a definitely higher number of branches on the main stem and more frequent ramifications on the complete plant than on either
the stock and scion cultivars or the progency derived from sexual crosses. A change in mature fruit color from red to yellow
occurred in an early generation of graft-induced variants. Our results demonstrate that some of the characteristics of the
stock were introduced into the progeny obtained from selfed seeds of the scion and that novel characteristics appeared as
a result of graft induction.
Click to expand...
 
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/225544879_Graft-induced_genetic_changes_and_the_inheritance_of_several_characteristics_in_pepper_(Capsicum_annuum_L.)
 
Dave that is a different study than the one I linked, but still applicable. Thanks. Here is one more study on bell pepper http://www.arccjournals.com/pdf/Reviews/ar-30-4/ar-30-4-002.pdf
 
 
 
I have just done a mad science project doing an approach graft of  C. annuum 'Hinkle Hatz' and C. chinense 'Wild Brazil'. If they sucessfully join, then I can then remove the tops of both plants at the top of the junction and should get new genetically mixed shoots when the junction regrows. 
 
I'm a student. Getting the document for you now.
 
EDIT: It's in the library. I'll head there in a bit, scan it, and upload it.
 
EDITEDIT: Not there. Interlibrary loan.
 
Requested the full document from RG. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I need to fluff out my profile there to convince others I am not some bum from a community college. Which I'm not, it's much worse. I'm some bum with a fake .edu email address :D
 
 
Och, nevermind. Found it with sci-hub.org. Crafty Russians and their disrespect for paywalls (mutual feeling).
 
Graft-induced genetic changes and the inheritance of several characteristics in pepper
 
miguelovic said:
Requested the full document from RG. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I need to fluff out my profile there to convince others I am not some bum from a community college. Which I'm not, it's much worse. I'm some bum with a fake .edu email address :D
 
 
Och, nevermind. Found it with sci-hub.org. Crafty Russians and their disrespect for paywalls (mutual feeling).
 
Graft-induced genetic changes and the inheritance of several characteristics in pepper
Click to expand...
Danke schön!!!!
 
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