Mitochondrial modifications associated with the cytoplasmic male sterility in faba beans

Isolated mitochondria of faba beans carrying two different determinisms of the cytoplasmic male sterility (cytoplasms 447 and 350) have been compared to fertile lines. 1. In addition to the major mitochondrial DNA, five small DNA species (in the range of 1000-2000 base pairs) were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis in the four cytoplasms. An additional small DNA species was found specifically in the cytoplasm 350. After endonuclease restriction of the mitochondrial DNA, the patterns obtained for both male-sterile cytoplasms were identical to each other but distinct by two to four fragments from the patterns obtained for male-fertile cytoplasms. 2. [35S]Methionine labeling in situ of the mitochondrial protein synthesis revealed an additional polypeptide (Mr = 25000) detected only in the two male-sterile cytoplasms. 3. The male-sterile cytoplasm 350 showed a decrease of the respiratory state 3 of oxygen uptake during oxidation of NADH or malate + pyruvate. This decrease is thought to reflect a smaller capacity of the respiratory chain. These specific mitochondrial modifications support the hypothesis of a mitochondrial localization of the cytoplasmic male sterility determinant in faba beans.