Properties and nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial plasmid from sunflower

Summary The 1.413 circular supercoiled mitochondrial DNA plasmid P 1 from a fertile sunflower line was sequenced, and a series of 160 by tandemly repeated sequences was observed. The P1 plasmid was detected in both fertile and cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines, but in different quantities. Two other circular plasmids, P2 and P3, each 1.8 kbp in length, were shown to share common sequences with Pl. The mitochondrial plasmid P1 detected homologous sequences in the nuclear DNA of sunflower, but not in chloroplast DNA nor in main band mitochondrial DNA. RNA molecules of about 680 and 550 nucleotides were detected that were complementary to mt plasmid P1.