Abstract
Plastids and mitochondria contain their own DNAs. The majority of angiosperm species display maternal inheritance of the organellar DNAs, whereas some plant species are known to exhibit biparental inheritance of organellar DNAs. Male gametophyte (pollen) consists of vegetative and generative cells (the progenitor of sperm cells). The amount of organellar DNA increases in generative cells of species that display the biparental inheritance but decreases in the case of species that display the maternal inheritance. Therefore, it is suggested that disappearance of organellar DNAs in generative cells is one of the mechanisms causing maternal inheritance. To understand the molecular mechanisms of organellar inheritance in higher plants, we used Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula, which exhibit maternal and biparental inheritance, respectively, to screen mutants in which the amount of organellar DNAs in generative cells was altered. We will report on microscopic observation, genetic analysis and the progress of the screening.
