A rapid PCR based method to establish the potential for paternal inheritance of chloroplasts inPelargonium

Abstract

A simple procedure for the amplification of chloroplast DNA from pollen is described. This allows the potential for biparental or paternal inheritance of chloroplasts in angiosperms to be established rapidly and reliably. Such information is important when chloroplast DNA, which is generally assumed to be inherited maternally, is used to study gene flow or reconstruct phylogenies. The technique could also prove valuable in assessing the risks of transgene escape via pollen of genetically modified plants, in which the chloroplast genome rather than the nucleus has been transformed.