Mondeuse noire 1937 and later developed a white-berried color mutation known as "Helena". Also in the late 20th and early 21st century, it was discovered that some of the plantings of Petite Sirah were actually field blends of true Petite Sirah (Durif) as well as several other varieties including Mondeuse noire. Though the exact relationship is not yet known, DNA analysis has also shown that Mondeuse noire has some relationship to the Savoie wine grape Douce noir which is known as "Charbono" in California and "Bonarda" in Argentina. While Mondeuse noire and Mondeuse blanche are not color mutations of one or the
Petite mutation be induced using a variety of mutagens, including DNA intercalating agents, as well as chemicals that can interfere with DNA synthesis in growing cells. Mutagens that create Petites are implicated in increased rates of degenerative diseases and in the aging process. A mutation that produces small (petite" > petite) anaerobic-like colonies had shown first in Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and described by Boris Ephrussi and his co-workers in 1949 in Gif-sur-Yvette, France. The cells of petite colonies were smaller than those of wild-type colonies, but the term “petite” refers only to colony size and not the individual cell size. Over 50