Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 11:57 (article 24) 1988
Wang Ming and Zhang Xing-ping
Northwestern Agricultural University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
Abstract
Ten F1 hybrids and their 16 parents of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] were used for isozyme analysis of peroxidase (POD) and esterase (EST) of dry seeds, germinating seeds, cotyledons and roots at the cotyledonary stage. The results obtained indicated that zymograms of POD and EST varied at different stages and different parts of the plant. Isozyme variation between hybrids and their parents was found at the seed germination stage and cotyledonary stage of POD, as well as cotyledonary stage of EST. The following cases were observed in our story: F1 hybrids had the same zymogram as their two parents, or maternal parents, or paternal parents, or had ‘hybrid enzyme’ or lacked some zymographic bands of their parents. High heterosis was generally found in the hybrids with the same isozyme zymograms of POD as their maternal parents, and EST as their maternal parents.