Cytoplasmic reversion to fertility in cms-S maize need not involve loss of linear mitochondrial plasmids.
Cytoplasmic male sterility of the S type (cms-S) in maize is characterized by the presence of two autonomously replicating plasmid-like elements, S1 and S2. These plasmids have not been found in the mitochondrial genomes of normal (male-fertile) maize nor previously in male-fertile cytoplasmic revertants. This paper reports the discovery of spontaneous cytoplasmic reversion to fertility in cms-S maize not involving the loss of S1 and S2 plasmids. Data are presented showing that loss of the plasmids during cytoplasmic reversion is under nuclear influence and is not a characteristic of the S cytoplasm itself.
D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005298:Fertility; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial