On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 10:01:29 -0500, Mark Lipton >
wrote:

>Mike Tommasi wrote:
>> I just read on Vitisphere (my translation)
>>
>> Pinot gris is a chimera
>>
>> Research by INRA in Colmar on the pinot genome has led to an amazing
>> discovery: certain versions of the pinot gris grape have two distinct
>> genomes, one for the skin and one for the berry itself. In genetics
>> this is referred to as a "natural tissue chimera". So in pinot gris
>> one finds the skin genome, that gives it its colour and therefore its
>> aroma, and the denome of the interior tissues, which are IDENTICAL TO
>> PINOT BLANC ! The study encompassed 6 types of pinot : gris, noir,
>> meunier, teinturier, blanc and moure.
>
>Mike,
> This is mind boggling if true: the genome of the skin tissue is
>DIFFERENT from that of the flesh. That implies that either a mutation
>takes place during the development of the grape, or that the skin and
>the flesh are derived from two different germ lines. Neither
>explanation makes much sense to me...

Incidentally, I have heard that trees are often colonies of
individuals with different genetic codes. I never knew it could happen
within a fruit !

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail