Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was thought to be inherited maternally in an
imals, although paternal leakage has been reported in mice and Drosoph
ila, Recently, direct evidence of extensive paternal inheritance of mt
DNA has been found in the marine mussel Mytilus. We give evidence that
whereas female mussels are homoplasmic for a genome that is transmitt
ed to eggs, male mussels are heteroplasmic for this genome and for a s
econd genome that is transmitted preferentially to sperm. The results
provide support for the existence of separate male and female routes o
f mtDNA inheritance in mussels. The two genomes Show a base sequence d
ivergence exceeding 20% at three protein coding genes, consistent with
long term maintenance of the heteroplasmic state. We propose that the
two genomes differ in fitness in males and females, possibly as a res
ult of interaction with nuclear genes.