Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 April 2009
A hypothesis has been tested that alterations in the molecule of histone H1 are capable of influencing quantitative traits of an organism. Two pairs of isogenic lines were constructed by selfing of plants kept heterozygous either for allelic variants of histone H1 subtype 1 (His1 gene) or for allelic combinations (haplotypes) of closely linked genes of H1 subtypes 3, 4, 5 and 6 (gene cluster His(2–6)). After 19 and 15 generations of selfing, respectively, expectation of the length of chromosome which remained heterozygous has comprised 2·6 cM near Hisl and 3·5 cM near His(2–6). The third pair of isogenic lines was obtained as a result of two successive intracluster cross-over events bordering the gene of the subtype 5 (His5). In each pair of isogenic lines there have been revealed some statistically significant differences between mean values of a number of quantitative traits.