%0 Journal Article %A Belcour, Léon %A Begel, Odile %T Life-span and Senescence in Podospora anserina: Effect of Mitochondrial Genes and Functions %D 1980 %J Microbiology, %V 119 %N 2 %P 505-515 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-119-2-505 %I Microbiology Society, %X The life-span of a mitochondrial mutant of Podospora anserina resistant to chloramphenicol was at least five times that of isonuclear chloramphenicol-sensitive strains. This property was maternally inherited. A study of the segregation of heteroplasmic mycelia showed that, in addition to the mitochondrial alleles cap r I/cap s I, another cytoplasmic factor, whose nature is discussed, controlled the life-span. Cycloheximide decreased the life-spans of all the strains studied, whereas they were greatly increased by chloramphenicol and ethidium bromide. Chloramphenicol seemed to act mainly by lowering the probability of commitment to senescence, while ethidium bromide seemed to affect both the commitment probability and the incubation period. Furthermore, chloramphenicol and ethidium bromide were able to rejuvenate senescent mycelia. These results are discussed in connection with previous results on the mitochondrial origin of senescence in Podospora anserina. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-119-2-505