Respiration in Cells and Mitochondria of Male-Fertile and Male-Fertile and Male-Sterile Nicotiana spp.

Three cytoplasmic male-sterile Nicotiana cultivars together with corresponding male-fertile progenitors and restored lines were investigated in order to find possible correlations between respiratory characteristics and male sterility. Oxygen consumption measurements were performed on cells from suspension cultures as well as on mitochondria isolated from green leaves. Inhibitors, which have been reported to specifically block either the cytochrome (KCN) or the alternative (propyl gallate and sali-cylhydroxamic acid [SHAM] respiratory pathways, were used in order to measure the capacity and activity of the two pathways. One of the inhibitors, SHAM, was found unsuitable to measure the activity of the alternative pathway due to the lack of specificity of SHAM for this pathway. A great difference in the capacity of the alternative pathway was detected between the two types of cell materials tested. Mitochondria isolated from green leaves showed a capacity of the alternative pathway of 5 to 20% of total mitochondrial repiration, while the capacity of cells from suspension cultures generally ranged from 50 to 80%. In addition to this, in organello synthesis of mitochondrial proteins revealed differences between mitochondria isolated from green leaves and from cell suspensions. No correlation, however, could be found between respiratory characteristics and male sterility.