Summary
Transcripts of the maize mitochondrial genes atp6, urf13-T and ORF25 were examined by Northern analysis from five normal (N), Texas male sterile (T), and T male sterile cytoplasm lines restored to fertility. A 5 kb DNA region containing the atp6 promoter is duplicated 5′ to urf13-T and ORF25 in T cytoplasm. DNA sequence differences in the 5 kb repeat detected between N and T cytoplasms may be related to atp6 transcriptional differences between the two cytoplasms. Nuclear restorer genes directed an RNA processing event that apparently decreased the abundance of mature urf13-T transcripts, which may correlate with the observed reduction of the 13 kDa gene product in restored lines. Fertility restoration had no effect on the transcription of atp6. Nuclear background, distinct from fertility restoration, also affected the abundance of urf13-T transcripts and directed the synthesis of an ORF25-specific transcript.
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Abbreviations
- mtDNA:
-
mitochondrial DNA
- mtRNA:
-
mitochondrial RNA
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Communicated by R. Goldberg
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Kennell, J.C., Wise, R.P. & Pring, D.R. Influence of nuclear background on transcription of a maize mitochondrial region associated with Texas male sterile cytoplasm. Mol Gen Genet 210, 399–406 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327189
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327189