Isolation and physicochemical characterization of mitochondrial DNA from cultured cells ofPetunia hybrida

Electron microscopic investigation of mitochondrial DNA from Chenopodium album (L.)

DNA molecules from mitochondria of whole plants and a suspension culture of Chenopodium album were prepared, by a gentle method, for analysis by electron microscopy. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA preparations from both sources contained mostly linear molecules of variable sizes (with the majority of molecules ranging from 40 to 160 kb). Open circular molecules with contour lengths corresponding to 0. 3-183 kb represented 23-26% of all mtDNA molecules in the preparations from the suspension culture and 13-15% in the preparations from whole plants. More than 90% of the circular DNA was smaller than 30 kb. Virtually no size classes of the mtDNA molecules could be identified, and circular or linear molecules of the genome size (about 270 kb) were not observed. In contrast, plastid (pt) DNA preparations from the suspension culture contained linear and circular molecules falling into size classes corresponding to monomers, dimers and trimers of the chromosome. About 23% of the ptDNA molecules were circular. DNA preparations from mitochondria contained a higher percentage of more complex molecules (rosette-like structures, catenate-like molecules) than preparations of ptDNA. Sigma-like molecules (putative intermediates of rolling-circle replication) were observed in mtDNA preparations from the suspension culture (18% of the circles), and in much lower amount (1%) in preparations from whole plants. The results are compared with data obtained previously by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and discussed in relation to the structural organization and replication of the mt genome of higher plants.

Mitochondrial DMA variation in somatic embryogenic cultures ofLarix

outhern hybridization analysis using wheat mitochondrial gene-specific probes indicates that changes in mitochondrial genomic organization and the relative representation of certain genomic regions occur during in vitro somatic embryogenic cell culture ofLarix species. We observed differences in the mitochondrial (mt)DNA hybridization patterns between somatic embryogenic cell cultures and trees grown from seed forLarix leptolepis,L. decidua, and the reciprocal hybrids of these twoLarix species. This is the first study to describe the correlation of molecular changes in a gymnosperm mitochondrial genome with in vitro somatic embryogenic cell culture. Quantitative differences in mtDNA hybridization signals were also observed among a 4-year-old somatic embryogenic cell culture ofLarix ×eurolepis trees regenerated from this culture, and the seed source tree from which the somatic embryogenic cell cultures were initiated.

Two potential Petunia hybrida mitochondrial DNA replication origins show structural and in vitro functional homology with the animal mitochondrial DNA heavy and light strand replication origins

Four Petunia hybrida mitochondrial (mt) DNA fragments have been isolated, sequenced, localized on the physical map and analyzed for their ability to initiate specific DNA synthesis. When all four mtDNA fragments were tested as templates in an in vitro DNA synthesizing lysate system, developed from purified P. hybrida mitochondria, specific initiation of DNA synthesis could only be observed starting within two fragments, oriA and oriB. When DNA synthesis incubations were performed with DNA templates consisting of both the A and B origins in the same plasmid in complementary strands, DNA synthesis first initiates in the A-origin, proceeds in the direction of the B-origin after which replication is also initiated in the B-origin. Based on these observations, a replication model for the P. hybrida mitochondrial genome is presented.

Rearrangement, amplification, and assortment of mitochondrial DNA molecules in cultured cells of Brassica campestris

We compared Brassica campestris mitochondrial and chloroplast DNAs from whole plants and from a 2-year-old cell culture. No differences were observed in the chloroplast DNAs (cpDNAs), whereas the culture mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was extensively altered. Hybridization analysis revealed that the alterations are due entirely to rearrangement. At least two inversions and one large duplication are found in the culture mtDNA. The duplication element is shown to have the usual properties of a plant mtDNA high frequency "recombination repeat". The culture mtDNA exists as a complex heterogeneous population of rearranged and unrearranged molecules. Some of the culture-associated rearranged molecules are present in low levels in native plant tissue and appear to have sorted out and amplified in the culture. Other mtDNA rearrangements may have occurred de novo. In addition to alterations of the main mitochondrial genome, an 11.3 kb linear mtDNA plasmid present in whole plants is absent from the culture. Contrary to findings in cultured cells of other plants, small circular mtDNA molecules were not detected in the B. campestris cell culture.

Size distributions of circular molecules in plant mitochondrial DNAs

Some physicochemical properties of the mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNA) from plants of flax, broad bean and mung bean, and from tissue culture cells of jimson weed, soybean, petunia and tobacco were determined. Circular molecules were observed in electron microscope preparations of each mtDNA. In soybean, petunia, broad bean and mung bean mtDNAs, the circular molecules had a continuous distribution of lengths (ranges between 1 to 36 kb, and 1 to 126 kb), heavily skewed toward smaller molecules. Eighty-six percent of the flax circular molecules were from 27 to 54 kb in size, and 78% of the jimson weed circular molecules were from 4 to 15 kb. Replicative forms of 1.2-1.6 kb circular molecules were observed in electron microscope preparations of broad bean mtDNA.