title: Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA and plasmids in the ascomycetous fungus, Epichloë typhina.
abstract: We analyzed the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) species in matings of the grass symbiont Epichloë typhina. Eighty progeny were analyzed from a cross in which the maternal (stromal) parent possessed three linear plasmids, designated Callan-a (7.5 kb), Aubonne-a (2.1 kb) and Bergell (2.0 kb), and the paternal parent had one plasmid, Aubonne-b (2.1 kb). Maternal transmission of all plasmids was observed in 76 progeny; two progeny possessed Bergell and Callan-a, but had the maternal Aubonne-a replaced with the related paternal plasmid Aubonne-b; two progeny lacked Callan-a, but had the other two maternal plasmids. A total of 34 progeny were analyzed from four other matings, including a reciprocal pair, and in each progeny the plasmid transmission was maternal. The inheritance of mitochondrial genomes in all progeny was analyzed by profiles of restriction endonuclease-cleaved mtDNA. In most progeny the profiles closely resembled those of the maternal parents, but some progeny had nonparental mtDNA profiles that suggested recombination of mitochondrial genomes. These results indicate that the fertilized stroma of E. typhina is initially heteroplasmic, permitting parental mitochondria to fuse and their genomes to recombine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546-0091, USA.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leuchtmann
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schardl
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006109:Poaceae / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes