PNL Volume 19 1987 SYMBOLS AND TYPE LINES 99
A MATERNALLY INHERITED GENE FOR CYANIDE RESISTANT RESPIRATION IN
PEA
Musgrave, M. E.1, J. N. Siedowl, and I. C. Murfet2
1 - Botany Dept., Duke University, Durham, NC 27706, USA
2 - Botany Dept., University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Australia
The cultivar 'Alaska' has the ability to express the cyanide-
resistant (alternative) respiration pathway while cultivar 'Pro-
gress No. 9' lacks this ability (1). Reciprocal crosses between
the two cultivars demonstrated maternal inheritance of the trait
which may be determined by a difference in the mitochondrial
genome (2)but chloroplast DNA cannot be ruled out. We propose the
gene symbol arp (alternative respiration pathway) which is written
wholly in lower case letters in accord with the usual practice for
symbolizing cytoplasmically inherited traits and designate Alaska
(arp+) and Progress No. 9 (arp-) as the respective type lines.
The finding that the alternative respiration pathway follows
a maternal pattern of inheritance in these pea cultivars is the
first information of this kind for any vascular plant species.
1. Musgrave, M. E. and J. N. Siedow. 1985. Physiologia Plant.
64:161-166.
2. Musgrave, M. E., I. C. Murfet and J. N. Siedow. 1986.
Plant, Cell Env. 9:153-156.