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Molecular analysis of mitochondria from a fertility restorer line of maize

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Summary

Inbred line Ky21 carries nuclear genes which restore fertility to all three cytoplasmic male sterile (cms) types of maize: T, C and S. By substituting the Ky21 cytoplasm into a nuclear background lacking all of the nuclear restorer genes, we have demonstrated that Ky21 contains a fertile (normal) cytoplasm. Gel electrophoresis of mitochondrial DNA from Ky21 demonstrated an approximately 2.1 kb plasmid and no evidence for a 2.35 kb plasmid found in many normal cytoplasms of North American lines of maize. A 2.1 kb plasmid had been reported to be diagnostic for the T-type cms. However, the restriction endonuclease digestion pattern of Ky21 mtDNA more closely resembled that of normal lines than T-cms. Furthermore, mitochondria of Ky21 plants did not synthesize a 13 kilodalton polypeptide, which has only been found to be synthesized by T-type mitochondria. From these molecular criteria, as well as from the genetic analysis, we conclude that the mitochondria of the Ky21 universal restorer line are normal. In having a shorter form of a linear mtDNA plasmid, Ky21 resembles cytoplasms found in Mexican races of maize.

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  1. Kathleen J. Newton

    Present address: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, CA, USA

    Kathleen J. Newton & Virginia Walbot

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  1. Kathleen J. Newton
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  2. Virginia Walbot
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Newton, K.J., Walbot, V. Molecular analysis of mitochondria from a fertility restorer line of maize. Plant Mol Biol 4, 247–252 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418243

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02418243

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