Summary
The genetic and physiological properties of two nuclear mutants of Parameccium tetraurelia affecting mitochondrial properties, and first screened as resistant to tetrazolium (TTC) are described. The mutant TTC R64-1 is strongly deficient in cytochrome c and the mutant TTC R66p is partially deficient in cytochrome aa3; both mutants display cyanide insensitive respiration in exponential growth phase. In the double mutant TTC R64-1 -TTC R66p /TTC R64-1 -TTC R66p the deficiency in cytochrome aa3 due to the TTC R64-1 mutation is suppressed. The mutation TTC R64-1 does not suppress cytochrome aa3 deficiencies due to mitochondrial mutations, but does interact with another nuclear mutation, cl 1, (compatible only with mitochondria deficient in cytochrome oxidase) in such a way that the double mutant TTC R64-1 -cl 1/TTC R64-1 -cl 1 displays a normal amount of cytochrome aa3. The possible mechanisms and physiological significance of these suppressive effects are discussed.
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Abbreviations
- TTCR/TTCS :
-
resistant/sensitive to tetrazolium
- KCNR/KCNS :
-
cyanide insensitive/sensitive respiration
- aa -3 /aa +3 :
-
deficient/normal amount of cytochrome aa3
- c-/c+ :
-
deficient/normal amount of cytochrome c
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Communicated by W. Gajewski
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Ruiz, F., Beisson, J. Genetic interactions in the control of mitochondrial functions in Paramecium . Molec. Gen. Genet. 180, 553–561 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268060
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268060