Abstract
The endosymbiont hypothesis for the origin of eukaryotic cells implies that an exchange of genetic information between nuclei, mitochondria and, in the case of plants, chloroplasts is plausible. Indeed, a 12-kilobase (kb) DNA sequence common to chloroplasts and mitochondria of maize has been identified1 and we now report the presence of common DNA sequences in the maize nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Homologous nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences have also recently been found in other organisms2–6, but this report extends the phenomenon to a higher eukaryote. Moreover, it encompasses sequences common to the mitochondrial genome, the nuclear genome and episomal, virus-like DNAs that have the physical characteristics of transposable elements. These episomal DNAs may provide the mechanism whereby sequences are transported from the mitochondrion to the nucleus.
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Kemble, R., Mans, R., Gabay-Laughnan, S. et al. Sequences homologous to episomal mitochondrial DNAs in the maize nuclear genome. Nature 304, 744–747 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/304744a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/304744a0
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