Different transcriptional ratios of male and female transmitted mitochondrial DNA and tissue-specific expression patterns in the blue mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis

In some bivalve species, paternal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from sperm is transmitted to the offspring. This is called doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI). Under DUI, male offspring receive both paternal (M type) and maternal (F type) mtDNA. Females predominantly receive F type. Expression levels of M and F type mtDNA and mitochondrial RNA localization have not been studied extensively. In this study, we quantified M and F type mtDNA and their expression levels in male and female somatic tissues and gonads with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the blue mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. M and F type expression patterns were studied with in situ hybridization, using probes specific to M and F type mtDNA in the cytochrome b region. We found that (i) F type mtDNA was expressed in somatic tissues and female gonads, while M type was not expressed in these tissues; (ii) M type expression in male gonads was limited, but strong expression was observed during early spermatogenesis; and (iii) F type expression ratios were significantly lower in female gonads than in somatic tissues and lower than both M and F type expression ratios in male gonads. We propose (i) different systems for M and F type tissue-specific transcriptional regulation; and (ii) different functions for F and M type mtDNA, with F type being functional in somatic tissues and female gonads and M type functioning only in spermatogenetic cells.