PNL Volume 14

1982

ANNOUNCEMENT

A Proposal for Establishing a Standard or Wildtype Genotype of Pisum

It is a common practice among geneticists working with various or-

ganisms to designate one particular genotype as the standard, "normal"

or wildtype, one to which all other stocks are compared. For Drosophila

the selection of such a genotype was not unduly difficult since wildtype

populations exist. For cultivated plants, however, the problem is less

straightforward. It is not possible to cite one specific genotype of

Pisum as representing the "normal" form. A similar problem exists for

tomatoes, but since there are clear advantages to establishing a stan-

dard genotype, the tomato geneticists, undaunted, have chosen the

cultivar 'Marglobe' as their "wildtype".

Pisum workers have not yet formally adopted a standard genotype.

Still, most of us have our own conception of the standard genotype, and,

for the majority of genes, there is not much dispute among Pisum workers

about which is the mutant and which is the wildtype allele.

A committee therefore has reviewed the genetic constitution of the

lines held in the Weibullsholm collection, and has concluded that WL-180

is the line that best qualifies as the archetypal pea, at least for

purposes of genetic studies. WL-110 previously was adopted as the stan-

dard structural line for cytogenetic studies. WL-180, like WL-110, has

the standard karyotype.

The committee invites criticism of the proposal to establish WL-180

as the standard genetic line. Members may wish to consult Blixt, S.

1978. Agri Hort. Genet. 36:56-87 for a list (not complete) of alleles

considered to be wildtype. Address comments either to S. Blixt or

G. A. Marx.