Isolation and Characterization of Linear DNA Elements from the Mitochondria of Gaeumannomyces graminis

Different Gaeumannomyces graminis strains of diverse geographic origin contain one or two small DNAs ranging in size from 7.2 to 10 kilobases. These DNAs exhibit different degrees of homology with each other. We have characterized these low-molecular-weight DNAs from one strain, Ha-01. These small DNAs, E1 and E2, are mitochondrial in origin and were isolated as linear molecules which exhibited an intrinsic difference in density from the high-molecular-weight DNA.