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A chimeric and truncated mitochondrial atpA gene is transcribed in alloplasmic cytoplasmic male-sterile tobacco with Nicotiana bigelovii mitochondria

Theoretical and Applied Genetics volume 91, pages 603–610 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

Protoplast fusions were performed between two sexually produced alloplasmic male-sterile tobacco cultivars, with cytoplasms from Nicotiana bigelovii [Nta (big)S] and N. undulata[Nta(und)S], both of which exhibit homeotic-like phenotypes affecting the petal and stamen whorls. Among the fusion products obtained, both novel male-sterile and pollen-producing cybrid plants were identified. Of the pollen-producing cybrid plants, all of which were indehiscent, some had flowers with stamens that appeared normal when compared to male-fertile tobacco plants. Other hybrid plants were incompletely restored as they exhibited petaloid structures on the anther-bearing pollen-producing stamens. In this study, gel-blot analyses with mitochondrial geneprobes were conducted comparing the mitochondrial DNA of cybrids and male-sterile parents. It was found that the flower morphology typical of the Nta(big)S parental plants, as well as of the novel male-sterile cybrids, coincided with the presence of a chimeric atpA gene copy where an open reading frame of unknown origin was found to be linked in-frame to the 3′-end of a truncated atpA gene. RNA gel-blot hybridizations revealed the presence of atpA transcripts in the malesterile parent Nta(big)S and novel male-sterile cybrids, but which were absent in cybrids capable of pollen production.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. W. Kofer

    Present address: Botanisches Institut, Ludwig Maximillian Universität, Menzingerstrasse 67, D-80638, München, Germany

  2. G. Håkansson

    Present address: Plant Cell Biology, Lund University, Box 7007, S-220 07, Lund, Sweden

Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Breeding Research, Uppsala Genetic Center, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7003, S-75007, Uppsala, Sweden

    P. Bergman, W. Kofer, G. Håkansson & K. Glimelius

Authors
  1. P. Bergman
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  2. W. Kofer
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  3. G. Håkansson
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  4. K. Glimelius
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Communicated by Y. Gleba

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Bergman, P., Kofer, W., Håkansson, G. et al. A chimeric and truncated mitochondrial atpA gene is transcribed in alloplasmic cytoplasmic male-sterile tobacco with Nicotiana bigelovii mitochondria. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 91, 603–610 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223286

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223286

Key words

  • CMS
  • Cybrids
  • Chimeric atpA
  • Gene
  • Mitochondria
  • Nicotiana