A cytoplasmic character in Neurospora crassa. The role of nuclei and mitochondria.

Nuclear fractions isolated from mutants of Neurospora produced no effect when microinjected into mutants with complementary biochemical requirements. DNA isolated from the nuclear fractions similarly injected also had no effect. Mitochondrial fractions isolated from an abnormal inositolless strain (abn-1) produced drastic changes in the rate of growth, morphology, reproductive characteristics, and cytochrome spectra of normal inositolless strains when single hyphal compartments were microinjected and isolated, whereas the mitochondrial fractions of the wild type produced no effect. These results provide evidence for the transmission of biochemical and biological characters when mitochondria are transferred to new nucleocytoplasmic environments.