Frequent, geographically structured heteroplasmy in the mitochondria of a flowering plant, ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

ABSTRACT: Recent research has convincingly documented cases of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in a small set of wild and cultivated plant species. Heteroplasmy is suspected to be common in flowering plants and investigations of additional taxa may help understand the mechanisms generating heteroplasmy as well as its effects on plant phenotypes. The role of mitochondrial heteroplasmy is of particular interest in plants as cytoplasmic male sterility is controlled by mitochondrial genotypes, sometimes leading to co-occurring female and hermaphroditic individuals (gynodioecy). Paternal leakage may be important in the evolution of mating systems in such populations. We conducted a genetic survey of the gynodioecious plant Plantago lanceolata, in which heteroplasmy has not previously been reported, and estima

SUBMITTER: Levsen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4901351 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature