Structure of a Gelasinospora linear plasmid closely related to the kalilo plasmid of Neurospora intermedia.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a linear mitochondrial plasmid from a natural isolate of a homothallic species of Gelasinospora. The plasmid genome is 8231 bp long. It carries terminal inverted repeats of 1137 bp. Extending inwards from the terminal repeats are two long open reading frames coding for putative proteins with similarity to DNA and RNA polymerases. These are separated by a short intergenic region. The plasmid sequence shows remarkable similarity to that of the Neurospora intermedia senescence-plasmid kalilo. Overall the two plasmids have a similar genetic organization and are clearly homologous at the sequence level. The main differences are in the intergenic region and in the terminal repeats.