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Optimization and Comparative Analysis of Plant Organellar DNA Enrichment Methods Suitable for Next-generation Sequencing

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Published on: July 28, 2017

Why chloroplasts and mitochondria contain genomes.

¹Plant Biochemistry, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden. john.allen@plantbio.lu.se

Comparative and Functional Genomics

|July 17, 2008

Summary

Chloroplasts and mitochondria retain some genes because their co-location with proteins allows for rapid regulatory control. This is likely due to redox control mechanisms in these organelles.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Chloroplasts and mitochondria originated from bacterial symbionts.
Eukaryotic cells acquired genes from these symbionts via lateral gene transfer.
Most organellar proteins are now encoded by nuclear genes, but some remain encoded within chloroplasts and mitochondria.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate why some genes remain in chloroplasts and mitochondria despite the ease of nuclear encoding and cytosolic translation.
To identify common features of proteins encoded by organellar DNA.
To propose a selective advantage for retaining organellar gene expression.

Main Methods:

The study proposes a hypothesis based on existing evidence and describes its underlying assumptions and predictions.

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It reviews literature on gene transfer, protein import, and gene expression regulation in organelles.

It focuses on the concept of co-location for regulatory coupling.

Main Results:

The hypothesis suggests that co-location of organellar genes with their products is essential for rapid and direct regulatory coupling.
Redox control of gene expression is proposed as a common feature of proteins encoded in situ within chloroplasts and mitochondria.
Recent evidence supports this hypothesis.

Conclusions:

Retaining certain genes within chloroplasts and mitochondria provides a selective advantage through direct regulatory control.
Redox regulation is a key factor linking organellar gene expression to cellular conditions.
This co-location mechanism ensures efficient and rapid responses to environmental cues.