EFFECTS OF SUPPRESSION OF MSH1 ON MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME IN BRASSICA NAPUS

Stability of plant organelle genomes is kept under surveillance by nuclear genes through suppression of relatively short repeat recombination. One of the nuclear gene involved in this process is Msh1. We identified Msh1 gene homologs in each Brassica oleracea, Brassica rapa, and Brassica napus. Using the sequence the Msh1 expression was suppressed by RNAi in B. napus. Aberrant morphological phenotypes and increased recombination activity in the mitochondrial genome were observed. The results suggested that Msh1 genes could involve suppression of short repeats mediated recombination in the mitochondrial genome.