An unusual type of mitochondrial DNA inheritance in the blue mussel Mytilus.
Open Access
- 2 August 1994
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 91 (16) , 7463-7467
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.91.16.7463
Abstract
In animals, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance is predominantly maternal. In a few cases incidental transmission of paternal mtDNA was observed and estimated to account for only 10(-4)-10(-3) of an individual's mtDNA content. In contrast, biparental inheritance is common in mussels of the genus Mytilus. Here we present direct evidence that sex and mtDNA inheritance are coupled in Mytilus. Females inherit mtDNA only from their mother, but they transmit it to both daughters and sons. Males inherit mtDNA from both parents, but they transmit to sons only the mtDNA they inherited from their father. In pair matings, this mtDNA inheritance pattern is associated with a strong sex-ratio bias. These findings establish a newly discovered type of cytoplasmic DNA transmission. We also present evidence that the phenomenon breaks down in interspecific hybrids.Keywords
This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mitochondrial DNA inheritanceNature, 1994
- Direct evidence for extensive paternal mitochondrial DNA inheritance in the marine mussel MytilusNature, 1992
- Population genetic aspects of deleterious cytoplasmic genomes and their effect on the evolution of sexual reproductionGenetics Research, 1992
- Heteroplasmy Suggests Limited Biparental Inheritance of Mytilus Mitochondrial DNAScience, 1991
- Chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA are paternally inherited in Sequoia sempervirens D. Don EndlProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1989
- The evolution of sexesPublished by Springer Nature ,1987
- Nucleotide sequence evidence for rapid genotypic shifts in the bovine mitochondrial DNA D-loopNature, 1983
- Critical experimental test of the possibility of "paternal leakage" of mitochondrial DNA.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1983
- Strictly maternal inheritance of rat mitochondrial DNABiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1978
- Cytological aspects of fertilization in the lamellibranch, Mytilus edulis II. Development of the male pronucleus and the association of the maternally and paternally derived chromosomesJournal of Experimental Zoology, 1969