MITOCHONDRIA GENOME ORGANISATION

Plant mitochondrial genomes are much larger than eukaryotic genomes.

They have an active recombination system but a very low protein coding capacity.

 Mitochondria is called the Power house of the cell and found in all eukaryotes.
 Mitochondria are the energy-transducing organelles of eukaryotic cells in which fuels
to drive cellular metabolism are converted into ATP through the process of oxidative
phosphorylation.
 Mitochondria have a double membrane. The outer membrane separates the
mitochondrion from the cytosol.
 The inner membrane is invaginated to form the cristae which protrude into and define
the matrix of the organelle.
 Mitochondria contain their own genome, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is
located in the mitochondrial matrix.


MITOCHONDRIA ULTRASTRUCTURE
 Mitochondrial cross section

STRUCTURE OF MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME

 SIZE
Varies from 200 kb in Brassica species to 2500 kb in Musk melon.
  MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (Mt DNA)
 Mitochondrial DNA is circular ds DNA
 D loop site is where most of the replication and transcription is controlled.
 Human mitochondrial DNA contains no introns but other species contains.
 2 strands different base composition
One heavy (H) – more coding genes
One light (L)- Less coding gene
 5000 – 10000 copies
 47% GC Content
  A single mitochondrion possesses many copies of its own genome (50-500)

TYPES OF DNA

PLANT MT DNA STRUCTURE

Due to the large size of these molecules a variety of techniques have been utilized in an
attempt to determine the structure, including pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and
electron microscopy
Mt DNA – 2 REGIONS

NUCLEOIDS
Mitochondria and plastids lack nuclei but possess proto-nuclear structures called nucleoids.
Nucleoids are a loose association of organellar DNA molecules, RNA transcripts, and DNA
compacting proteins.

REPLICATION MECHANISMS OF PLANT MTDNA

  Because of the size and complexity of plant mitochondrial genomes, the exact
mechanism for plant Mt DNA replication remains unclear. 
 Plants most likely utilize multiple strategies to replicate their mitochondrial genomes
like:
- recombination-dependent replication (RDR)
- rolling circle mechanism similar
- traditional bi-directional replication
 With growing evidence that RDR may be a major mechanism for DNA replication in
plant mitochondria

SEGREGATION OF MTDNA MOLECULES DURING MITOCHONDRIAL DIVISION

 Plant mitochondria frequently divide and fuse
 Because of the subgenomic nature of plant mitochondrial genomes, totally random or
stochastic distribution of mtDNA to new mitochondria would lead to many defective
mitochondria that lack a complete genome.
 Massive mitochondrial fusion allows mixing and recombination of the mitochondrial
genome prior to cell division, thus ensuring continuity of genetic information.
 Regulation of genome copy number and division/transmission is under nuclear
regulation.

MITOCHONDRIAL GENES

 Genes for respiratory chain functions

- Complex 1 – NADH Dehydrogenase
- Complex 2 – Succinate dehydrogenase
- Complex 3 – Cytochrome-c-reductase
- Complex 4 – Cytochrome-c-oxidase ( 3 sub units)

 

 Genes for stable RNA

- 26 srRNA
- 18 srRNA
- 5 sr RNA
- 30 t RNA
 

 Chloroplast genes
- 2 genes for 16 srRNA
- T RNA


FUNCTION
OVERVIEW – METBOLIC PATHWAYS
COMPARISON CHART – IF TIME PERMITS: