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Between DNA and protein – RNA editing in plant mitochondria
Author(s) -
Schuster Wolfgang,
Wissinger Bernd,
Hiesel Rudolf,
Unseid Michael,
Gerold Ernst,
Knoop Volker,
Marchfelder Anita,
Binder Stefan,
Schobel Werner,
Scheike Rupert,
Granger Petra,
Ternes Rainer,
Brennicke Axel
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1991.tb08754.x
Subject(s) - rna editing , biology , intron , mitochondrial dna , rna , cytidine , genetics , plastid , gene , dna , genetic code , messenger rna , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , chloroplast , enzyme
Higher plants contain the largest mitochondrial genomes found so far. Several factors contribute to this expansion in size, notably integrated plastid and nuclear sequences; numerous repeats, some of which are active in recombination and sequence rearrangements; introns of more than 3 400 nucleotides and several genes unique to plant mitochondrial DNA. Genes are transcribed into mono and polycistronic mRNAs and translated by the standard genetic code. However, mRNAs are altered from the DNA encoded sequence by RNA editing with mostly cytidine to uridine and occasionally uridine to cytidine transitions. Edited mRNAs specify different polypeptides than those predicted by open reading frames in the DNA. Partially edited mRNA molecules raise the question of which proteins are actually synthesized. RNA editing of mitochondrial transcripts appears to occur in all higher plants and may date back to the common ancestors of modern plants.