Open AccessOchromonas mitochondria contain a specific chloroplast protein
Author(s) -
Ginette Lacoste-Royal,
Sarah P. Gibbs
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.82.5.1456
Subject(s) - chlamydomonas reinhardtii , chloroplast , protein subunit , biology , immunoelectron microscopy , mitochondrion , chloroplast dna , organelle , plastid , biochemistry , mitochondrial dna , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , antibody , genetics , mutant
Antibody raised against the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase [3-phospho-D-glycerate carboxy-lyase (dimerizing), EC 4.1.1.39] ofChlamydomonas reinhardtii labeled the mitochondria as well as the chloroplast of the chrysophyte algaOchromonas danica in sections prepared for immunoelectron microscopy by the protein A-gold technique. The same antibody labeled the chloroplast but not the mitochondria ofC. reinhardtii . A quantitative study of labeling in dark-grown, greening (32 hr light), and mature green cells ofO. danica revealed that anti-small-subunit staining in the mitochondria increased progressively in the light as it does in the plastid. Antibody to the large subunit of the enzyme did not label the mitochondria of eitherO. danica orC. reinhardtii . In view of the recent demonstrations of homologous DNA sequences in the mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of higher plants, we suggest that the DNA sequence coding for the small subunit has migrated to the mitochondria from nucleus or chloroplast and is expressed within the organelle.