The Journal of Heredity 2001:92(6)
© 2001 The American Genetic Association 92:507-509
Brief Communication |
Inheritance of the Chloroplast Genome in Sorbus aucuparia L. (Rosaceae)
From Unité d'Ecologie et de Biogéographie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 4-5, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Address correspondence to O. Raspé at National Botanical Garden of Belgium, Department of Bryophytes and Thallophytes, Borein van Bouchout, B-1860 Meise, Belgium, or e-mail: raspe{at}br.fgov.be.
Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) inheritance was investigated in Sorbus aucuparia using progenies obtained from six controlled crosses between individuals of known haplotype. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, followed by restriction analysis, was used to characterize 248 offspring for either of two polymorphic cpDNA fragments. All offspring exhibited the maternal haplotype, which indicates maternal inheritance of chloroplasts in S. aucuparia. Power analysis of the test showed that the frequency of paternal transmission of chloroplasts, if any, should not exceed 1.84% (with 99% confidence).