Mitochondrial (mt) DNAs from several higher-plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Beta vulgaris, Brassica hirta, Chenopodium album, Oenothera berteriana, Zea mays) were separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Hybridization of the separated DNA with mtDNA-specific probes revealed an identical distribution of mtDNA sequences in all cases: part of the DNA formed a smear of linear molecules migrating into the gel, the rest remained in the well. Hybridization signals in the compression zone of the gels disappeared after RNase or alkaline treatment. It was shown that the linear molecules are not products of unspecific degradation by nucleases. All plastid (pt) DNA from leaves of Nicotiana tabacum remained in the well after PFGE. Separation of linear monomers and oligomers of the chloroplast chromosomes of N. tabacum was achieved by mild DNase treatment of the well-bound DNA. DNase treatment of well-bound mtDNA, however, generated a smear of linear molecules. PtDNA from cultured cells of C. album was found after PFGE to be partly well-bound, and partly separated into linear molecules with sizes of monomeric and oligomeric chromosomes. The ease with which it was possible to detect large linear molecules of plastid DNA indicates that shearing forces alone can not explain the smear of linear molecules obtained after PFGE of mtDNA. The results are discussed in relation to the structural organization of the mt genome of higher plants.