Why can you get anywhere between 1% and 99% petites from a grande x petite cross?
You can get 1-99% petite-ness (the diploid has an intermediate phenotype between grande and petite), a function of the severity of the mtDNA deletions. This only occurs from a r- petite x grande cross. Later, as the diploid undergoes mitotic divisions, the number of actual petites can increase up to 99% (depending on the severity of the mtDNA deletions), because the r- mitochondria can overwhelm the wt mitochondria. Note! not all r- mutant are suppressive.
