Summary
Minute colony mutations in C. reinhardtii are induced with 100% efficiency by intercalating dyes such as acriflavin and ethidium bromide. These mutants form small colonies on petri plates because they undergo only 8–9 mitotic divisions before growth ceases. In liquid media without the dye the mutants show gross alterations in mitochondrial structure and function. Here we demonstrate that induction of minute mutations is accompanied by the specific loss of mitochondrial DNA. We also provide evidence that the transmission of the minute colony phenotype in crosses can be explained in terms of uniparental transmission of mitochondrial DNA by the mt − parent.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander NJ (1977) PhD thesis, Duke University, Durham, NC
Alexander NJ, Gillham NW, Boynton JE (1974) Mol Gen Genet 130:275–290
Boer PH, Gray MW (1986) EMBO J 5:21–28
Boer PH, Bonen L, Lee RW, Gray MW (1985) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:3340–3344
Boynton JE, Palmer JD, Harris EH, Gillham NW (1984) Genetics 107:s13
Boynton JE, Lamerson P, Burkhart B, Harris EH, Gillham NW (1987) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (in press)
Dujon B (1981) In: Strathern JN, Jones EW, Broach JR (eds) Molecular biology of the yeast Saccharomyces: life cycle and interitance. Cold Spring Harbor, New York, pp. 505–635
Forster JL, Grabowy CT, Harris EH, Boynton JE, Gillham NW (1980) Curr Genet 1:137–153
Gillham NW, Boynton JE, Lee RW (1974) Genetics 78:439–457
Gillham NW, Boynton JE, Harris EH (1984) Genetics 107:s38
Grant D, Chiang K-S (1980) Plasmid 4:82–96
Grant DM, Gillham NW, Boynton JE (1980) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:6067–6071
Marco Y, Rochaix J-D (1980) Mol Gen Genet 177:715–723
Mariottini P, Chomyn A, Riley M, Cottrell B, Doolittle RF, Attardi G (1986) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:1563–1567
Musgrave ME, Murfet IC, Siedow JN (1986) Plant Cell Environ 9:153–156
Myers AM, Grant DM, Rabert DK, Harris EH, Boynton JE, Gillham NW (1982) Plasmid 7:133–151
Palmer JD, Boynton JE, Gillham NW, Harris EH (1985) In: Steinback KE, Bonitz S, Arntzen CJ, Bogorad L (eds) Molecular biology of the photosynthetic apparatus. Cold Spring Harbor New York, pp 269–278
Pratje E, Schnierer S, Dujon B (1984) Curr Genet 9:75–82
Ryan R, Grant DM, Chiang K-S, Swift H (1978) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:3268–3272
Sears BB, Boynton JE, Gillham NW (1980) Genetics 96:95–114
Siedow IN, Berthold DA (1986) Physiol Plant 66:569–573
Southern EM (1975) J Mol Biol 98:503–517
Vahrenholz C, Pratje E, Michaelis G, Dujon B (1985) Mol Gen Genet 201:213–224
Wiseman A, Gillham NW, Boynton JE (1977) J Cell Biol 73:56–77
Woessner JP, Masson A, Harris EH, Bennoun P, Gillham NW, Boynton JE (1984) Plant Mol Biol 3:177–190
Wurtz EA, Boynton JE, Gillham NW (1977) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:4552–4556
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gillham, N.W., Boynton, J.E. & Harris, E.H. Specific elimination of mitochondrial DNA from Chlamydomonas by intercalating dyes. Curr Genet 12, 41–47 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00420726
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00420726