Abstract: The inheritance of mitochondrial (mt) DNA and chloroplast (cp) DNA was investigated in intergeneric hybrids from crossing between Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. and Cryptomeria fortuaei Hooibrenk. The chloroplast tmL-trnF region and one intra-genic segment of the mitochondrial gene, Cox m, were amplified from those of the parents and hybrids by PCR using gene-specific primers. Cp- and mtDNA polymorphisms of the amplified regions were detected between the parents after restriction digestions. Restriction fragmem length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis revealed that all the Fl individuals possessed Cox Ⅲ restriction fragment patterns (characteristic of the paternal parent Cryptomeria fortunei ) and the tmL-tmF region (identical to the matemal parent Cunninghamia lanceolata ) showing that a different mode of inheritance for organelle DNA has occurred in the hybrids. Furthermore, the maternal inheritance of chloroplast DNA is reported here for the first time in coniferophyta.

Key words: Curminghamia lanceolata, Cryptomeria fortunei, Inheritance of chloroplast DNA, Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA, Restriction fragment length polymorphism