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International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2021Eleven published articles (4 reviews, 7 research papers) are collected in the Special Issue entitled "Organelle Genetics in Plants." This selection of papers covers a...
Eleven published articles (4 reviews, 7 research papers) are collected in the Special Issue entitled "Organelle Genetics in Plants." This selection of papers covers a wide range of topics related to chloroplasts and plant mitochondria research: (i) organellar gene expression (OGE) and, more specifically, chloroplast RNA editing in soybean, mitochondria RNA editing, and intron splicing in soybean during nodulation, as well as the study of the roles of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of OGE in plant adaptation to environmental stress; (ii) analysis of the nuclear integrants of mitochondrial DNA (NUMTs) or plastid DNA (NUPTs); (iii) sequencing and characterization of mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes; (iv) recent advances in plastid genome engineering. Here we summarize the main findings of these works, which represent the latest research on the genetics, genomics, and biotechnology of chloroplasts and mitochondria.
Topics: Crops, Agricultural; Genome, Mitochondrial; Plants; Plastids; RNA Editing
PubMed: 33672640
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042104 -
Protoplasma Jan 2024
Topics: Plastids
PubMed: 38102506
DOI: 10.1007/s00709-023-01913-y -
Current Biology : CB Jun 2019Mitochondria, a nearly ubiquitous feature of eukaryotes, are derived from an ancient symbiosis. Despite billions of years of cooperative coevolution - in what is... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria, a nearly ubiquitous feature of eukaryotes, are derived from an ancient symbiosis. Despite billions of years of cooperative coevolution - in what is arguably the most important mutualism in the history of life - the persistence of mitochondrial genomes also creates conditions for genetic conflict with the nucleus. Because mitochondrial genomes are present in numerous copies per cell, they are subject to both within- and among-organism levels of selection. Accordingly, 'selfish' genotypes that increase their own proliferation can rise to high frequencies even if they decrease organismal fitness. It has been argued that uniparental (often maternal) inheritance of cytoplasmic genomes evolved to curtail such selfish replication by minimizing within-individual variation and, hence, within-individual selection. However, uniparental inheritance creates conditions for cytonuclear conflict over sex determination and sex ratio, as well as conditions for sexual antagonism when mitochondrial variants increase transmission by enhancing maternal fitness but have the side-effect of being harmful to males (i.e., 'mother's curse'). Here, we review recent advances in understanding selfish replication and sexual antagonism in the evolution of mitochondrial genomes and the mechanisms that suppress selfish interactions, drawing parallels and contrasts with other organelles (plastids) and bacterial endosymbionts that arose more recently. Although cytonuclear conflict is widespread across eukaryotes, it can be cryptic due to nuclear suppression, highly variable, and lineage-specific, reflecting the diverse biology of eukaryotes and the varying architectures of their cytoplasmic genomes.
Topics: Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Biological Evolution; Eukaryota; Genome, Mitochondrial; Plastids; Symbiosis
PubMed: 31163164
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.020 -
Current Biology : CB Apr 2018de Vries and Archibald introduce the topic of plastid genomes - prokaryotic genomes housed within eukaryotic algae and plants. (Review)
Review
de Vries and Archibald introduce the topic of plastid genomes - prokaryotic genomes housed within eukaryotic algae and plants.
Topics: Cyanobacteria; Evolution, Molecular; Genome, Plastid; Phylogeny; Plants; Plastids; Symbiosis
PubMed: 29689202
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.01.027 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Sep 2015Progress in the field of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) in recent years has not surpassed plant biology. Nevertheless, reports on RIP in plants, and... (Review)
Review
Progress in the field of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) in recent years has not surpassed plant biology. Nevertheless, reports on RIP in plants, and especially in chloroplasts, are still scarce. Of the four different families of intramembrane proteases, only two have been linked to chloroplasts so far, rhomboids and site-2 proteases (S2Ps). The lack of chloroplast-located rhomboid proteases was associated with reduced fertility and aberrations in flower morphology, probably due to perturbations in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, which occurs in chloroplasts. Mutations in homologues of S2P resulted in chlorophyll deficiency and impaired chloroplast development, through a yet unknown mechanism. To date, the only known substrate of RIP in chloroplasts is a PHD transcription factor, located in the envelope. Upon proteolytic cleavage by an unknown protease, the soluble N-terminal domain of this protein is released from the membrane and relocates to the nucleus, where it activates the transcription of the ABA response gene ABI4. Continuing studies on these proteases and substrates, as well as identification of the genes responsible for different chloroplast mutant phenotypes, are expected to shed more light on the roles of intramembrane proteases in chloroplast biology.
Topics: Membrane Proteins; Peptide Hydrolases; Plastids; Proteolysis
PubMed: 25528366
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2014.12.006 -
The New Phytologist Sep 2021Endosymbiosis is a relationship between two organisms wherein one cell resides inside the other. This affiliation, when stable and beneficial for the 'host' cell, can... (Review)
Review
Endosymbiosis is a relationship between two organisms wherein one cell resides inside the other. This affiliation, when stable and beneficial for the 'host' cell, can result in massive genetic innovation with the foremost examples being the evolution of eukaryotic organelles, the mitochondria and plastids. Despite its critical evolutionary role, there is limited knowledge about how endosymbiosis is initially established and how host-endosymbiont biology is integrated. Here, we explore this issue, using as our model the rhizarian amoeba Paulinella, which represents an independent case of primary plastid origin that occurred c. 120 million yr ago. We propose the 'chassis and engine' model that provides a theoretical framework for understanding primary plastid endosymbiosis, potentially explaining why it is so rare.
Topics: Amoeba; Biological Evolution; Eukaryota; Phylogeny; Plastids; Symbiosis
PubMed: 34018613
DOI: 10.1111/nph.17478 -
Molecular Plant Jan 2015Carotenoids are mostly C40 terpenoids, a class of hydrocarbons that participate in various biological processes in plants, such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis,... (Review)
Review
Carotenoids are mostly C40 terpenoids, a class of hydrocarbons that participate in various biological processes in plants, such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, photoprotection, and development. Carotenoids also serve as precursors for two plant hormones and a diverse set of apocarotenoids. They are colorants and critical components of the human diet as antioxidants and provitamin A. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the genes and enzymes involved in carotenoid metabolism and describe recent progress in understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying carotenoid accumulation. The importance of the specific location of carotenoid enzyme metabolons and plastid types as well as of carotenoid-derived signals is discussed.
Topics: Carotenoids; Hemiterpenes; Organophosphorus Compounds; Plants; Plastids; Xanthophylls
PubMed: 25578273
DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2014.12.007 -
Open Biology Jan 2019The thylakoid membrane network inside chloroplasts harbours the protein complexes that are necessary for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Cellular... (Review)
Review
The thylakoid membrane network inside chloroplasts harbours the protein complexes that are necessary for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Cellular processes for building and altering this membrane network are therefore essential for life on Earth. Nevertheless, detailed molecular processes concerning the origin and synthesis of the thylakoids remain elusive. Thylakoid biogenesis is strongly coupled to the processes of chloroplast differentiation. Chloroplasts develop from special progenitors called proplastids. As many of the needed building blocks such as lipids and pigments derive from the inner envelope, the question arises how these components are recruited to their target membrane. This review travels back in time to the beginnings of thylakoid membrane research to summarize findings, facts and fictions on thylakoid biogenesis and structure up to the present state, including new insights and future developments in this field.
Topics: Biological Evolution; Chlorophyta; Chloroplasts; Cyanobacteria; Membrane Lipids; Photosynthesis; Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; Plants; Plastids; Thylakoids
PubMed: 30958119
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180237 -
Redox Biology Oct 2020Oxylipins (compounds derived from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids) are essential in retrograde signaling emanating from plastids to the nucleus during plant... (Review)
Review
Oxylipins (compounds derived from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids) are essential in retrograde signaling emanating from plastids to the nucleus during plant developmental and stress responses. In this graphical review, we provide an overview of the chemical structure, biosynthesis and role of oxylipins, as both redox and hormonal signals, in controlling plant development and stress responses. We also briefly summarize current gaps in the understanding of the involvement of oxylipins in plastidial retrograde signaling to highlight future avenues for research.
Topics: Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Oxylipins; Plants; Plastids; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 32979794
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101717 -
Current Opinion in Plant Biology Apr 2021Genetic approaches to modify starch in crops have been limited by our knowledge of starch biosynthesis. Recent advances in Arabidopsis have revealed key genetic... (Review)
Review
Genetic approaches to modify starch in crops have been limited by our knowledge of starch biosynthesis. Recent advances in Arabidopsis have revealed key genetic components determining the size, shape and number of granules in a plastid. This has opened the doors to new discoveries on granule initiation in crop species. In parallel, advances in genomic resources and gene editing technologies allow targeted manipulation of starch biosynthesis genes in isogenic crop backgrounds. Such technologies have been successfully deployed to alter starch composition, and can now be used to modify other starch traits. This will allow the complex relationships between starch structure and physicochemical properties to be elucidated, which will facilitate the rational manipulation of starches in crops.
Topics: Arabidopsis; Crops, Agricultural; Gene Editing; Plastids; Starch
PubMed: 33677239
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102013