Genetics and transformation of mitochondria in the green alga Chlamydomonas.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses genetics and transformation of mitochondria in the green alga Chlamydomonas . Molecular evidence strongly supports the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria from alpha purple bacteria. Photosynthetic eukaryotes show the greatest diversity in mitochondrial genome size and structure, ranging from the 15-kb linear genome of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to genomes of certain angiosperms that exceed one Mb. Although the mitochondrial genomes of numerous invertebrates and vertebrates and the liverwort Marchantia is completely sequenced, and the genes they encode are well characterized, the genetic systems in these organelles are poorly developed. Mitochondria of animal cells lacking DNA can be obtained by prolonged culture of cells in medium containing ethidium bromide, and pyruvate and uridine, which are essential for growth of the cell. Genetic dissection of mitochondrial structure and function in baker's yeast is possible because mitochondrial function is dispensable. Mitochondrial transformation in yeast is just beginning to be exploited to study expression of specific organelle genes, and much needs to be done to take advantage of this technique in Chlamydomonas.

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