The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA
<p>Abstract</p> <p>The mitochondrial genome of plants is-in every respect and for yet unclear reasons-very different from the well-studied one of animals. Thanks to next-generation sequencing technologies, Davila <it>et al</it>. precisely characterized the role played b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2011-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Biology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/61 |
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| author | Galtier Nicolas |
| author_facet | Galtier Nicolas |
| author_sort | Galtier Nicolas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>The mitochondrial genome of plants is-in every respect and for yet unclear reasons-very different from the well-studied one of animals. Thanks to next-generation sequencing technologies, Davila <it>et al</it>. precisely characterized the role played by recombination and DNA repair in controlling mitochondrial variations in <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>, thus opening new perspectives on the long-term evolution of this intriguing genome.</p> <p>See research article: <url>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/64</url></p> <p>The mitochondrial genome of plants is a challenge to molecular evolutionary biologists. Its content is highly dynamic: plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is large and variable in size (200 to 2,500 kb), contains many introns and repeated elements (typically 90% of the total sequence), and experiences frequent gene gain/loss/transfer/duplication, and genome rearrangements <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr></abbrgrp>. Its nucleotide substitution rate, paradoxically, is remarkably low-even lower than for nuclear DNA. These features are in sharp contrast with the highly studied mtDNA of animals, which is small-sized, structurally conserved, devoid of selfish elements, and has a very fast nucleotide substitution rate <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B2">2</abbr></abbrgrp>. Why these two genomes behave so differently is one of the most head-scratching questions of current comparative genomics. The study by Davila <it>et al</it>. <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B3">3</abbr></abbrgrp> contributes a potentially decisive argument by connecting the plant mtDNA mutation rate to yet another intriguing feature of this organellar genome-recombination.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:55:36Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1741-7007 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:55:36Z |
| publishDate | 2011-09-01 |
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| series | BMC Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5bbb5f66883249a4b3357b967c0a8b3b2022-12-22T00:15:16ZengBMCBMC Biology1741-70072011-09-01916110.1186/1741-7007-9-61The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNAGaltier Nicolas<p>Abstract</p> <p>The mitochondrial genome of plants is-in every respect and for yet unclear reasons-very different from the well-studied one of animals. Thanks to next-generation sequencing technologies, Davila <it>et al</it>. precisely characterized the role played by recombination and DNA repair in controlling mitochondrial variations in <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>, thus opening new perspectives on the long-term evolution of this intriguing genome.</p> <p>See research article: <url>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/64</url></p> <p>The mitochondrial genome of plants is a challenge to molecular evolutionary biologists. Its content is highly dynamic: plant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is large and variable in size (200 to 2,500 kb), contains many introns and repeated elements (typically 90% of the total sequence), and experiences frequent gene gain/loss/transfer/duplication, and genome rearrangements <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B1">1</abbr></abbrgrp>. Its nucleotide substitution rate, paradoxically, is remarkably low-even lower than for nuclear DNA. These features are in sharp contrast with the highly studied mtDNA of animals, which is small-sized, structurally conserved, devoid of selfish elements, and has a very fast nucleotide substitution rate <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B2">2</abbr></abbrgrp>. Why these two genomes behave so differently is one of the most head-scratching questions of current comparative genomics. The study by Davila <it>et al</it>. <abbrgrp><abbr bid="B3">3</abbr></abbrgrp> contributes a potentially decisive argument by connecting the plant mtDNA mutation rate to yet another intriguing feature of this organellar genome-recombination.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/61 |
| spellingShingle | Galtier Nicolas The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA BMC Biology |
| title | The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA |
| title_full | The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA |
| title_fullStr | The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA |
| title_full_unstemmed | The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA |
| title_short | The intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial DNA |
| title_sort | intriguing evolutionary dynamics of plant mitochondrial dna |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/61 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT galtiernicolas theintriguingevolutionarydynamicsofplantmitochondrialdna AT galtiernicolas intriguingevolutionarydynamicsofplantmitochondrialdna |