Cloning and characterization of a linear 2.3 kb mitochondrial plasmid of maize.

A linear 2.3 kb DNA molecule found in maize mitochondria was cloned into pUC8. A natural deletion of this plasmid, found in cmsT and some N (fertile) types of maize plants, was mapped to one end of the plasmid. A minor sequence homology to S-2, another linear mitochondrial plasmid, was detected, as well as more significant sequence homology with chloroplast and maize nuclear DNA. Hybridization to teosinte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) revealed the presence of part of the maize plasmid in the high molecular weight mtDNA of the maize relatives. RNA dot hybridization indicates that the plasmid is transcribed in mitochondria. The termini of the 2.3 kb linear plasmid contain inverted repeated sequences; of the first 17 nucleotides of the termini, 16 are identical to the terminal inverted repeats of the linear S plasmids found in the mitochondria of cmsS maize plants.