Modifications of chloroplast DNA during streptomycin induced mutagenesis in Euglena gracilis

Abstract

The evolution of chloroplast DNA was analysed during streptomycin induced mutagenesis in Euglena gracilis strain bacillaris and strain Z. In addition to a massive reduction of the cellular level of chloroplast DNA, several structural modifications have been observed in early stages of mutagenesis but they are generally eliminated during the later stages. The ribosomal cistrons are regularly rearranged: two of the three tandemly arranged cistrons occuring in wild type chloroplast DNA decrease while the third one is relatively more conserved and amplified during mutagenesis and in bleached mutants.