TY - JOUR

T1 - Dwarfism and male sterility in interspecific hybrids of Epilobium

T2 - 2. Expression of mitochondrial genes and structure of the mitochondrial DNA

AU - Schmitz, Udo

AU - Michaelis, G.

PY - 1988/10

Y1 - 1988/10

N2 - Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and transcriptional patterns of mitochondrial genes have been examined in dwarf, normal, fertile and male sterile Epilobium hybrids. No alterations or rearrangements of mitochondrial DNA could be detected in the developmentally disturbed hybrids. They exhibit restriction patterns of mtDNA that correspond exactly to those of their female parents. However, the transcription of at least one mitochondrial gene is significantly altered in the male sterile hybrid E. hirsutum x montanum. In normal plants, one mRNA of 1.6 kb hybridizes to the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene, while in male sterile plants a transcript of this size is lacking and instead a major transcript of 2.0 kb and two smaller ones occur. The transcript pattern of the F1 ATPase alpha subunit (atpA) gene exhibits slight alterations in sterile plants also. Since these hybrids have the same cytoplasm as normal plants, an incompatibility between the nuclear and the mitochondrial genotype may be responsible for the altered mitochondrial gene expression. No alteration of the transcripts of the mitochondrial genes tested could be detected in dwarf hybrids. The coincidence of male sterility with an altered transcription pattern of mitochondrial genes suggests that the mitochondria are involved in the occurrence of this phenotype.

AB - Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and transcriptional patterns of mitochondrial genes have been examined in dwarf, normal, fertile and male sterile Epilobium hybrids. No alterations or rearrangements of mitochondrial DNA could be detected in the developmentally disturbed hybrids. They exhibit restriction patterns of mtDNA that correspond exactly to those of their female parents. However, the transcription of at least one mitochondrial gene is significantly altered in the male sterile hybrid E. hirsutum x montanum. In normal plants, one mRNA of 1.6 kb hybridizes to the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene, while in male sterile plants a transcript of this size is lacking and instead a major transcript of 2.0 kb and two smaller ones occur. The transcript pattern of the F1 ATPase alpha subunit (atpA) gene exhibits slight alterations in sterile plants also. Since these hybrids have the same cytoplasm as normal plants, an incompatibility between the nuclear and the mitochondrial genotype may be responsible for the altered mitochondrial gene expression. No alteration of the transcripts of the mitochondrial genes tested could be detected in dwarf hybrids. The coincidence of male sterility with an altered transcription pattern of mitochondrial genes suggests that the mitochondria are involved in the occurrence of this phenotype.

KW - Dwarfism

KW - Epilobium

KW - Gene expression

KW - Male sterility

KW - Mitochondrial DNA

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0000663943&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/BF00260909

DO - 10.1007/BF00260909

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0000663943

VL - 76

SP - 565

EP - 569

JO - Theoretical And Applied Genetics

JF - Theoretical And Applied Genetics

SN - 0040-5752

IS - 4

ER -