The molecular basis for allelic differences suggests Restorer-of-fertility 1 is a complex locus in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

Background: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a widely used trait for hybrid seed production in many crops. Sugar beet CMS is associated with a unique mitochondrial protein named preSATP6 that forms a 250-kDa complex. Restorer-of-fertility 1 (Rf1) is a nuclear gene that suppresses CMS and is, hence, one of the targets of sugar beet breeding.

Identification and characterization of a semi-dominant restorer-of-fertility 1 allele in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris).

The sugar beet Rf1 locus has a number of molecular variants. We found that one of the molecular variants is a weak allele of a previously identified allele. Male sterility (MS) caused by nuclear-mitochondrial interaction is called cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in which MS-inducing mitochondria are suppressed by a nuclear gene, restorer-of-fertility.

Post-translational mechanisms are associated with fertility restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris).

Genetic conflict between cytoplasmically inherited elements and nuclear genes arising from their different transmission patterns can be seen in cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), the mitochondrion-encoded inability to shed functional pollen. CMS is associated with a mitochondrial open reading frame (ORF) that is absent from non-sterility inducing mitochondria (S-orf). Nuclear genes that suppress CMS are called restorer-of-fertility (Rf) genes.

Evolutionary aspects of a unique internal mitochondrial targeting signal in nuclear-migrated rps19 of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

The endosymbiotic theory postulates that many genes migrated from endosymbionts to the nuclear genomes of their hosts. Some migrated genes lack presequences directing proteins to mitochondria, and their mitochondrial targeting signals appear to be inscribed in the core coding regions as internal targeting signals (ITSs). ITSs may have evolved after sequence transfer to nuclei or ITSs may have pre-existed before sequence transfer.

Unusual and typical features of a novel restorer-of-fertility gene of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).

Male gametogenesis in plants can be impaired by an incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, termed cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). A sterilizing factor resides in mitochondria, whereas a nuclear factor, Restorer-of-fertility (Rf), restores male fertility. Although a majority of plant Rf genes are thought to encode a family of RNA-binding proteins called pentatrico-peptide repeat (PPR) proteins, we isolated a novel type of Rf from sugar beet.

Large 3' UTR of sugar beet rps3 is truncated in cytoplasmic male-sterile mitochondria.

Genomic alteration near or within mitochondrial gene is often associated with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). Its influence on the expression of the mitochondrial gene was proposed as one of the possible causes of CMS. In sugar beet mitochondrial rps3, whose downstream 1,056-bp region contains Norf246, an apparently non-functional open reading frame (ORF), was deleted in CMS mitochondria.

A new source of cytoplasmic male sterility found in wild beet and its relationship to other CMS types.

We found a number of male-sterile plants in a wild beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. maritima) accession line, FR4-31.