Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism and gynodioecy in a natural population of Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Mitochondrial genome variability was studied in a gynodioecious population of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA organization usi ng Southern hybridization with probes for mitochondrial genes coxII, cob, a nd atpA revealed a high level of mitochondrial polymorphism 11 mitotypes we re detected in a total of 27 individuals studied. One mitotype was particul arly common among male fertile individuals. The remaining mitotypes were fo und in only one or two individuals, generally male sterile. Polymorphism wa s thus greater in male sterile than in male fertile individuals. The data p resented here suggest that male sterility in Rosmarinus is associated with the appearance of mitochondrial genome variants which differ from the stand ard pattern for male fertile plants.