PATERNAL PLASTID DNA CAN BE INHERITED IN LENTIL

Restriction fragment analysis was used to study the inheritance of chl oroplast DNA (cpDNA) in F-1 progeny from crosses between Lens culinari s ssp, orientalis and L. culinaris ssp. culinaris. Twenty-five combina tions of 11 restriction enzymes and three heterologous probes from Pet unia hybrida cpDNA were used to screen six accessions of L, c. culinar is and one accession of L. c. orientalis for restriction fragment leng th polymorphisms (RFLPs). No variation in cpDNA was observed within th e subspecies L. c. culinaris, but the L. c. orientalis accession was u nambiguously distinguished from all six L. c. culinaris accessions by two RFLPs. Often F-1 progeny from L. c. orientalis x L. c culinaris cr osses, nine had only maternal cpDNA restriction fragments but one F-1 plant inherited cpDNA fragments from both parents. Nuclear DNA inherit ance was biparental in all ten F-1 progeny.