Mitochondria and chloroplasts are eukaryotic organelles that evolved from bacterial ancestors and harbor their own genomes. The gene products of these genomes work in concert with those of the nuclear genome to ensure proper organelle metabolism and biogenesis. This book explores the forces that have shaped the evolution of organelle genomes and the expression of the genes encoded by them. Some striking examples of trends in organelle evolution explored here are the reduction in genome size and gene coding content observed in most lineages, the complete loss of organelle DNA in certain lineages, and the unusual modes of gene expression that have emerged, such as the extensive and essential mRNA editing that occurs in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts. This book places particular emphasis on the current techniques used to study the evolution of organelle genomes and gene expression.

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are eukaryotic organelles that evolved from bacterial ancestors and harbor their own genomes. The gene products of these genomes work in concert with those of the nuclear genome to ensure proper organelle metabolism and biogenesis. This book explores the forces that have shaped the evolution of organelle genomes and the expression of the genes encoded by them. Some striking examples of trends in organelle evolution explored here are the reduction in genome size and gene coding content observed in most lineages, the complete loss of organelle DNA in certain lineages, and the unusual modes of gene expression that have emerged, such as the extensive and essential mRNA editing that occurs in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts. This book places particular emphasis on the current techniques used to study the evolution of organelle genomes and gene expression.

Here is an exhaustive exploration of all aspects of research on organelle genomes. This outstanding new volume reviews the properties of chloroplast and mitorchondrial genomes, describing in depth their structure, gene content, expression, evolution, and genetics. The book takes readers to the outer limits of contemporary research, showing how the study of genomes contributes to the solution of important problems in molecular biology. It covers a wide range of problems from the use of organelle DNA molecules in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies to molecular investigations of the mechanisms underlying RNA editing, intron splicing and mobility, protein import, and mitochondrial disease. This unique text is designed for an introductory course in organelle genetics at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level. It is of special interest to professionals in the fields of molecular and cell biology, genetics, and evolution.

Chloroplasts in photosynthetic organisms and mitochondria in a vast majority of eukaryotes, contain part of the genetic material of a eukaryotic cell. The organisation and inheritance patterns of this organellar DNA are quite different to that of nuclear DNA. Present-day chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes contain only a few dozen genes. Nevertheless, these organelles harbor several thousand proteins, the vast majority of them encoded by the nucleus. As a result, the expression of nuclear and organelle genomes has to be very precisely coordinated.

The recent revolution in molecular biology has spread through every field of biology including systematics and evolution. Researchers can now analyze the genomes of different species relatively quickly, and this is generating a great deal of data and theories about relationships between taxa as well as how they originated and diversified. Org

This book provides reviews and primary research articles that discuss the replication, repair, maintenance, and structures of plant organelle genomes. Rearrangements of these genomes are common and provide a way to distinguish closely related plant species. Some articles in the book discuss recent advances in identifying specific proteins and potential mechanisms involved in DNA replication, recombination, and repair in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts.