Summary
The linear mitochondrial DNAs of the two infertile algal species Chlamydomonas smithii and C. reinhardtii are co-linear with the exception of a 1 kb intron (α intron) located in the cytochrome b gene of C. smithii. C. smithii also possesses an additional HpaI restriction site (H marker) located in the COXI gene, about 5 kb from the intron. In reciprocal crosses, C. smithii (H +α+) × C. reinhardtii (H −α−), the α intron is transmitted to all diploid progeny, whereas the H marker is frequently transmitted either biparentally or paternally depending on whether the C. smithii parent is maternal (mt +) or paternal (mt −). In diploids resulting from artificial fusion between vegetative cells, the absolute transmission of a is accompanied by the frequent transmission of the H + marker, irrespective of the mating type of the parental strains. Finally, in reciprocal crosses between C. smithii (H +α+) and recombinant H −α+ clones, the transmission of the H marker is predominantly paternal or biparental. These results allow us to conclude that (1) the a intron behaves as a group I intron whose unidirectional conversion influences the transmission of the H marker; and (2) the mt − paternal mitochondrial genome is transmitted more often than the mt +. The mating type has no effect in diploids obtained by artificial fusion.
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Communicated by D. M. Lonsdale
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Remacle, C., Bovie, C., Michel-Wolwertz, MR. et al. Mitochondrial genome transmission in Chlamydomonas diploids obtained by sexual crosses and artificial fusions: Role of the mating type and of a 1 kb intron. Molec. Gen. Genet. 223, 180–184 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265051
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265051