Mechanisms of Maternal Inheritance. I

Protein Synthesis Involved in Preferential Destruction of Chloroplast DNA of Male Origin

Abstract

The mechanism of preferential destruction of chloroplast nucleoids (ct-nucleoids) from the male parent in young zygotes in Chiamydomonas reinhardii was studied using an epifluorescent microscopy and translation inhibitors. When the young zygotes were treated with inhibitors (chloramphenicol, erythromycin) of translation in chloroplasts, the preferential destruction of ct-nucleoids of male parent occurred like the control. However, the addition of an inhibitor (cycloheximide) of translation in the cytoplasm inhibited preferential destruction of ct-nucleoids of male origin 100%. The results suggest that soon after mating, the newly synthesized protein is involved in the preferential digestion of the chloroplast nucleoids of male origin.