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...

Mark Lipton

BTW, Googling for the phrase "natural tissue chimera" turned up nothing.