PATERNALLY BIASED CPDNA INHERITANCE IN TURNERA-ULMIFOLIA (TURNERACEAE)

We end-labeled Hin fI restriction digests of a PCR-amplified plastid e ncoded gene, the large subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, t o investigate patterns of cpDNA inheritance in Turnera ulmifolia. A to tal of 70 progeny from crosses among plants taken from ten populations revealed varying patterns of inheritance. A majority of progeny inher ited the paternal cpDNA (64%), while 19% exhibited maternal and 17% bi parental inheritance. Eight variegated progeny showed biparental inher itance and were analyzed in greater detail. We extracted and analyzed the cpDNA content of light- vs. dark-green leaf sectors from these pla nts. The results showed that vegetative segregation of cpDNA had occur red for seven of the eight plants.