INHERITANCE OF CHLOROPLAST AND MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA IN ALLOPLASMIC FORMSOF THE GENUS DAUCUS

The inheritance of mitochondrial (mt) and chloroplast (ct) DNA in the progeny from interspecific crosses between the cultivated carrot (Dauc us carota sativus) and wild forms of the genus Daucus was investigated by analysis of mt and ct RFLPs in single plants of the parental and f ilial generations. We observed a strict maternal inheritance of the or ganellar DNAs in all interspecific crosses examined. Previous studies on putative F-2 plants from a cross between Daucus muricatus x D. caro ta sativus suggested paternal inheritance of ctDNA. Our reinvestigatio n of this material revealed that the mtDNA of the putative F-2 plants differed from the mtDNA of both putative parents. Therefore, our data suggest that the investigated material originated from other, not yet identified, parents. Consequently, the analysis of this material canno t provide evidence for a paternal inheritance of ctDNA.