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Plant Mitochondria

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (11 June 2018) | Viewed by 102116

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Special Issue Editor

ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
Interests: molecular phenotyping; salinity; thermal stress; wheat; pulses; protein; metabolite and lipid mass spectrometry; metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The primary function of mitochondria is respiration, where catabolism of substrates is coupled to ATP synthesis via oxidative phosphorylation. In plants, mitochondrial composition is relatively complex and flexible and has specific pathways to support photosynthetic processes in illuminated leaves. Plant mitochondria also play important roles in a variety of cellular processes associated with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur metabolism. Research on plant mitochondria has rapidly developed in the last few decades with the availability of the genome sequences for a wide range of model and crop plants. Recent prominent themes in the plant mitochondrial research include linking mitochondrial composition to environmental stress responses, and how this oxidative stress impacts upon the plant mitochondrial function. Similarly, interest in the signalling capacity of mitochondria, the role of reactive oxygen species, and retrograde and anterograde signalling has revealed the transcriptional changes of stress responsive genes as a framework to define specific signals emanating to and from the mitochondrion. There has also been considerable interest in the unique RNA metabolic processes in plant mitochondria including RNA transcription, RNA editing, the splicing of group I and group II introns and RNA degradation and translation. Despite their identification more than 100 years ago, plant mitochondria remain a significant area of research in the plant sciences.

This Special Issue, Plant Mitochondria, will cover a selection of recent research topics and timely review articles in the field of plant mitochondrial research. Experimental papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries are all welcome.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nicolas L. Taylor
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant mitochondria
  • respiration
  • signaling
  • RNA metabolism
  • electron transfer chain
  • ATP synthesis
  • oxidative stress

Published Papers (20 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 191 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for Special Issue “Plant Mitochondria”
by Nicolas L. Taylor
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 3849; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19123849 - 03 Dec 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2326
Abstract
The primary function of mitochondria is respiration, where catabolism of substrates is coupled to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis via oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

11 pages, 500 KiB  
Communication
The Characterization of Arabidopsis mterf6 Mutants Reveals a New Role for mTERF6 in Tolerance to Abiotic Stress
by Pedro Robles, Sergio Navarro-Cartagena, Almudena Ferrández-Ayela, Eva Núñez-Delegido and Víctor Quesada
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(8), 2388; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19082388 - 14 Aug 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3634
Abstract
Exposure of plants to abiotic stresses, such as salinity, cold, heat, or drought, affects their growth and development, and can significantly reduce their productivity. Plants have developed adaptive strategies to deal with situations of abiotic stresses with guarantees of success, which have favoured [...] Read more.
Exposure of plants to abiotic stresses, such as salinity, cold, heat, or drought, affects their growth and development, and can significantly reduce their productivity. Plants have developed adaptive strategies to deal with situations of abiotic stresses with guarantees of success, which have favoured the expansion and functional diversification of different gene families. The family of mitochondrial transcription termination factors (mTERFs), first identified in animals and more recently in plants, is likely a good example of this. In plants, mTERFs are located in chloroplasts and/or mitochondria, participate in the control of organellar gene expression (OGE), and, compared with animals, the mTERF family is expanded. Furthermore, the mutations in some of the hitherto characterised plant mTERFs result in altered responses to salt, high light, heat, or osmotic stress, which suggests a role for these genes in plant adaptation and tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. In this work, we investigated the effect of impaired mTERF6 function on the tolerance of Arabidopsis to salt, osmotic and moderate heat stresses, and on the response to the abscisic acid (ABA) hormone, required for plants to adapt to abiotic stresses. We found that the strong loss-of-function mterf6-2 and mterf6-5 mutants, mainly the former, were hypersensitive to NaCl, mannitol, and ABA during germination and seedling establishment. Additionally, mterf6-5 exhibited a higher sensitivity to moderate heat stress and a lower response to NaCl and ABA later in development. Our computational analysis revealed considerable changes in the mTERF6 transcript levels in plants exposed to different abiotic stresses. Together, our results pinpoint a function for Arabidopsis mTERF6 in the tolerance to adverse environmental conditions, and highlight the importance of plant mTERFs, and hence of OGE homeostasis, for proper acclimation to abiotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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25 pages, 7314 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen Source Dependent Changes in Central Sugar Metabolism Maintain Cell Wall Assembly in Mitochondrial Complex I-Defective frostbite1 and Secondarily Affect Programmed Cell Death
by Anna Podgórska, Monika Ostaszewska-Bugajska, Agata Tarnowska, Maria Burian, Klaudia Borysiuk, Per Gardeström and Bożena Szal
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(8), 2206; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19082206 - 28 Jul 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4075
Abstract
For optimal plant growth, carbon and nitrogen availability needs to be tightly coordinated. Mitochondrial perturbations related to a defect in complex I in the Arabidopsis thalianafrostbite1 (fro1) mutant, carrying a point mutation in the 8-kD Fe-S subunit of NDUFS4 protein, [...] Read more.
For optimal plant growth, carbon and nitrogen availability needs to be tightly coordinated. Mitochondrial perturbations related to a defect in complex I in the Arabidopsis thalianafrostbite1 (fro1) mutant, carrying a point mutation in the 8-kD Fe-S subunit of NDUFS4 protein, alter aspects of fundamental carbon metabolism, which is manifested as stunted growth. During nitrate nutrition, fro1 plants showed a dominant sugar flux toward nitrogen assimilation and energy production, whereas cellulose integration in the cell wall was restricted. However, when cultured on NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source, which typically induces developmental disorders in plants (i.e., the ammonium toxicity syndrome), fro1 showed improved growth as compared to NO3 nourishing. Higher energy availability in fro1 plants was correlated with restored cell wall assembly during NH4+ growth. To determine the relationship between mitochondrial complex I disassembly and cell wall-related processes, aspects of cell wall integrity and sugar and reactive oxygen species signaling were analyzed in fro1 plants. The responses of fro1 plants to NH4+ treatment were consistent with the inhibition of a form of programmed cell death. Resistance of fro1 plants to NH4+ toxicity coincided with an absence of necrotic lesion in plant leaves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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16 pages, 2518 KiB  
Article
Decoding the Divergent Subcellular Location of Two Highly Similar Paralogous LEA Proteins
by Marie-Hélène Avelange-Macherel, Adrien Candat, Martine Neveu, Dimitri Tolleter and David Macherel
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(6), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19061620 - 31 May 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4483
Abstract
Many mitochondrial proteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol with an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) which is cleaved off upon import. Although much is known about import mechanisms and MTS structural features, the variability of MTS still hampers robust sub-cellular software [...] Read more.
Many mitochondrial proteins are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol with an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) which is cleaved off upon import. Although much is known about import mechanisms and MTS structural features, the variability of MTS still hampers robust sub-cellular software predictions. Here, we took advantage of two paralogous late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEA) from Arabidopsis with different subcellular locations to investigate structural determinants of mitochondrial import and gain insight into the evolution of the LEA genes. LEA38 and LEA2 are short proteins of the LEA_3 family, which are very similar along their whole sequence, but LEA38 is targeted to mitochondria while LEA2 is cytosolic. Differences in the N-terminal protein sequences were used to generate a series of mutated LEA2 which were expressed as GFP-fusion proteins in leaf protoplasts. By combining three types of mutation (substitution, charge inversion, and segment replacement), we were able to redirect the mutated LEA2 to mitochondria. Analysis of the effect of the mutations and determination of the LEA38 MTS cleavage site highlighted important structural features within and beyond the MTS. Overall, these results provide an explanation for the likely loss of mitochondrial location after duplication of the ancestral gene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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25 pages, 4269 KiB  
Article
Suppression of External NADPH Dehydrogenase—NDB1 in Arabidopsis thaliana Confers Improved Tolerance to Ammonium Toxicity via Efficient Glutathione/Redox Metabolism
by Anna Podgórska, Monika Ostaszewska-Bugajska, Klaudia Borysiuk, Agata Tarnowska, Monika Jakubiak, Maria Burian, Allan G. Rasmusson and Bożena Szal
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(5), 1412; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19051412 - 09 May 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5814
Abstract
Environmental stresses, including ammonium (NH4+) nourishment, can damage key mitochondrial components through the production of surplus reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. However, alternative electron pathways are significant for efficient reductant dissipation in mitochondria during ammonium [...] Read more.
Environmental stresses, including ammonium (NH4+) nourishment, can damage key mitochondrial components through the production of surplus reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. However, alternative electron pathways are significant for efficient reductant dissipation in mitochondria during ammonium nutrition. The aim of this study was to define the role of external NADPH-dehydrogenase (NDB1) during oxidative metabolism of NH4+-fed plants. Most plant species grown with NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source experience a condition known as “ammonium toxicity syndrome”. Surprisingly, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants suppressing NDB1 were more resistant to NH4+ treatment. The NDB1 knock-down line was characterized by milder oxidative stress symptoms in plant tissues when supplied with NH4+. Mitochondrial ROS accumulation, in particular, was attenuated in the NDB1 knock-down plants during NH4+ treatment. Enhanced antioxidant defense, primarily concerning the glutathione pool, may prevent ROS accumulation in NH4+-grown NDB1-suppressing plants. We found that induction of glutathione peroxidase-like enzymes and peroxiredoxins in the NDB1-surpressing line contributed to lower ammonium-toxicity stress. The major conclusion of this study was that NDB1 suppression in plants confers tolerance to changes in redox homeostasis that occur in response to prolonged ammonium nutrition, causing cross tolerance among plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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29 pages, 21370 KiB  
Article
Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Diverse Cauliflower Cultivars under Mild and Severe Drought. Impaired Coordination of Selected Transcript and Proteomic Responses, and Regulation of Various Multifunctional Proteins
by Michał Rurek, Magdalena Czołpińska, Tomasz Andrzej Pawłowski, Aleksandra Maria Staszak, Witold Nowak, Włodzimierz Krzesiński and Tomasz Spiżewski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(4), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19041130 - 10 Apr 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4737
Abstract
Mitochondrial responses under drought within Brassica genus are poorly understood. The main goal of this study was to investigate mitochondrial biogenesis of three cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) cultivars with varying drought tolerance. Diverse quantitative changes (decreases in abundance mostly) in [...] Read more.
Mitochondrial responses under drought within Brassica genus are poorly understood. The main goal of this study was to investigate mitochondrial biogenesis of three cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) cultivars with varying drought tolerance. Diverse quantitative changes (decreases in abundance mostly) in the mitochondrial proteome were assessed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Respiratory (e.g., complex II, IV (CII, CIV) and ATP synthase subunits), transporter (including diverse porin isoforms) and matrix multifunctional proteins (e.g., components of RNA editing machinery) were diversely affected in their abundance under two drought levels. Western immunoassays showed additional cultivar-specific responses of selected mitochondrial proteins. Dehydrin-related tryptic peptides (found in several 2D spots) immunopositive with dehydrin-specific antisera highlighted the relevance of mitochondrial dehydrin-like proteins for the drought response. The abundance of selected mRNAs participating in drought response was also determined. We conclude that mitochondrial biogenesis was strongly, but diversely affected in various cauliflower cultivars, and associated with drought tolerance at the proteomic and functional levels. However, discussed alternative oxidase (AOX) regulation at the RNA and protein level were largely uncoordinated due to the altered availability of transcripts for translation, mRNA/ribosome interactions, and/or miRNA impact on transcript abundance and translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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18 pages, 7072 KiB  
Article
Nitric Oxide Regulates Seedling Growth and Mitochondrial Responses in Aged Oat Seeds
by Chunli Mao, Yanqiao Zhu, Hang Cheng, Huifang Yan, Liyuan Zhao, Jia Tang, Xiqing Ma and Peisheng Mao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(4), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19041052 - 02 Apr 2018
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 4688
Abstract
Mitochondria are the source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells and play a central role in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycles; however, ROS production and regulation for seed germination, seedling growth, as well as [...] Read more.
Mitochondria are the source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells and play a central role in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycles; however, ROS production and regulation for seed germination, seedling growth, as well as mitochondrial responses to abiotic stress, are not clear. This study was conducted to obtain basic information on seed germination, embryo mitochondrial antioxidant responses, and protein profile changes in artificial aging in oat seeds (Avena sativa L.) exposed to exogenous nitric oxide (NO) treatment. The results showed that the accumulation of H2O2 in mitochondria increased significantly in aged seeds. Artificial aging can lead to a loss of seed vigor, which was shown by a decline in seed germination and the extension of mean germination time (MGT). Seedling growth was also inhibited. Some enzymes, including catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), maintained a lower level in the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) scavenging system. Proteomic analysis revealed that the expression of some proteins related to the TCA cycle were down-regulated and several enzymes related to mitochondrial ETC were up-regulated. With the application of 0.05 mM NO in aged oat seeds, a protective effect was observed, demonstrated by an improvement in seed vigor and increased H2O2 scavenging ability in mitochondria. There were also higher activities of CAT, GR, MDHAR, and DHAR in the AsA-GSH scavenging system, enhanced TCA cycle-related enzymes (malate dehydrogenase, succinate-CoA ligase, fumarate hydratase), and activated alternative pathways, as the cytochrome pathway was inhibited. Therefore, our results indicated that seedling growth and seed germinability could retain a certain level in aged oat seeds, predominantly depending on the lower NO regulation of the TCA cycle and AsA-GSH. Thus, it could be concluded that the application of 0.05 mM NO in aged oat seeds improved seed vigor by enhancing the mitochondrial TCA cycle and activating alternative pathways for improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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22 pages, 5135 KiB  
Article
Alternative Respiratory Pathway Component Genes (AOX and ND) in Rice and Barley and Their Response to Stress
by Vajira R. Wanniarachchi, Lettee Dametto, Crystal Sweetman, Yuri Shavrukov, David A. Day, Colin L. D. Jenkins and Kathleen L. Soole
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030915 - 20 Mar 2018
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 5255
Abstract
Plants have a non-energy conserving bypass of the classical mitochondrial cytochrome c pathway, known as the alternative respiratory pathway (AP). This involves type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases (NDs) on both sides of the mitochondrial inner membrane, ubiquinone, and the alternative oxidase (AOX). The AP [...] Read more.
Plants have a non-energy conserving bypass of the classical mitochondrial cytochrome c pathway, known as the alternative respiratory pathway (AP). This involves type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases (NDs) on both sides of the mitochondrial inner membrane, ubiquinone, and the alternative oxidase (AOX). The AP components have been widely characterised from Arabidopsis, but little is known for monocot species. We have identified all the genes encoding components of the AP in rice and barley and found the key genes which respond to oxidative stress conditions. In both species, AOX is encoded by four genes; in rice OsAOX1a, 1c, 1d and 1e representing four clades, and in barley, HvAOX1a, 1c, 1d1 and 1d2, but no 1e. All three subfamilies of plant ND genes, NDA, NDB and NDC are present in both rice and barley, but there are fewer NDB genes compared to Arabidopsis. Cyanide treatment of both species, along with salt treatment of rice and drought treatment of barley led to enhanced expression of various AP components; there was a high level of co-expression of AOX1a and AOX1d, along with NDB3 during the stress treatments, reminiscent of the co-expression that has been well characterised in Arabidopsis for AtAOX1a and AtNDB2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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34 pages, 3962 KiB  
Article
Cold and Heat Stress Diversely Alter Both Cauliflower Respiration and Distinct Mitochondrial Proteins Including OXPHOS Components and Matrix Enzymes
by Michał Rurek, Magdalena Czołpińska, Tomasz Andrzej Pawłowski, Włodzimierz Krzesiński and Tomasz Spiżewski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030877 - 16 Mar 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4666
Abstract
Complex proteomic and physiological approaches for studying cold and heat stress responses in plant mitochondria are still limited. Variations in the mitochondrial proteome of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) curds after cold and heat and after stress recovery were assayed by [...] Read more.
Complex proteomic and physiological approaches for studying cold and heat stress responses in plant mitochondria are still limited. Variations in the mitochondrial proteome of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) curds after cold and heat and after stress recovery were assayed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) in relation to mRNA abundance and respiratory parameters. Quantitative analysis of the mitochondrial proteome revealed numerous stress-affected protein spots. In cold, major downregulations in the level of photorespiratory enzymes, porine isoforms, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and some low-abundant proteins were observed. In contrast, carbohydrate metabolism enzymes, heat-shock proteins, translation, protein import, and OXPHOS components were involved in heat response and recovery. Several transcriptomic and metabolic regulation mechanisms are also suggested. Cauliflower plants appeared less susceptible to heat; closed stomata in heat stress resulted in moderate photosynthetic, but only minor respiratory impairments, however, photosystem II performance was unaffected. Decreased photorespiration corresponded with proteomic alterations in cold. Our results show that cold and heat stress not only operate in diverse modes (exemplified by cold-specific accumulation of some heat shock proteins), but exert some associations at molecular and physiological levels. This implies a more complex model of action of investigated stresses on plant mitochondria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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14 pages, 8001 KiB  
Article
Impairment of Meristem Proliferation in Plants Lacking the Mitochondrial Protease AtFTSH4
by Alicja Dolzblasz, Edyta M. Gola, Katarzyna Sokołowska, Elwira Smakowska-Luzan, Adriana Twardawska and Hanna Janska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 853; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030853 - 14 Mar 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4198
Abstract
Shoot and root apical meristems (SAM and RAM, respectively) are crucial to provide cells for growth and organogenesis and therefore need to be maintained throughout the life of a plant. However, plants lacking the mitochondrial protease AtFTSH4 exhibit an intriguing phenotype of precocious [...] Read more.
Shoot and root apical meristems (SAM and RAM, respectively) are crucial to provide cells for growth and organogenesis and therefore need to be maintained throughout the life of a plant. However, plants lacking the mitochondrial protease AtFTSH4 exhibit an intriguing phenotype of precocious cessation of growth at both the shoot and root apices when grown at elevated temperatures. This is due to the accumulation of internal oxidative stress and progressive mitochondria dysfunction. To explore the impacts of the internal oxidative stress on SAM and RAM functioning, we study the expression of selected meristem-specific (STM, CLV3, WOX5) and cell cycle-related (e.g., CYCB1, CYCD3;1) genes at the level of the promoter activity and/or transcript abundance in wild-type and loss-of-function ftsh4-1 mutant plants grown at 30 °C. In addition, we monitor cell cycle progression directly in apical meristems and analyze the responsiveness of SAM and RAM to plant hormones. We show that growth arrest in the ftsh4-1 mutant is caused by cell cycle dysregulation in addition to the loss of stem cell identity. Both the SAM and RAM gradually lose their proliferative activity, but with different timing relative to CYCB1 transcriptional activity (a marker of G2-M transition), which cannot be compensated by exogenous hormones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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17 pages, 3016 KiB  
Article
Recombination Events Involving the atp9 Gene Are Associated with Male Sterility of CMS PET2 in Sunflower
by Antje Reddemann and Renate Horn
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030806 - 11 Mar 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5983
Abstract
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) systems represent ideal mutants to study the role of mitochondria in pollen development. In sunflower, CMS PET2 also has the potential to become an alternative CMS source for commercial sunflower hybrid breeding. CMS PET2 originates from an interspecific cross [...] Read more.
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) systems represent ideal mutants to study the role of mitochondria in pollen development. In sunflower, CMS PET2 also has the potential to become an alternative CMS source for commercial sunflower hybrid breeding. CMS PET2 originates from an interspecific cross of H. petiolaris and H. annuus as CMS PET1, but results in a different CMS mechanism. Southern analyses revealed differences for atp6, atp9 and cob between CMS PET2, CMS PET1 and the male-fertile line HA89. A second identical copy of atp6 was present on an additional CMS PET2-specific fragment. In addition, the atp9 gene was duplicated. However, this duplication was followed by an insertion of 271 bp of unknown origin in the 5′ coding region of the atp9 gene in CMS PET2, which led to the creation of two unique open reading frames orf288 and orf231. The first 53 bp of orf288 are identical to the 5′ end of atp9. Orf231 consists apart from the first 3 bp, being part of the 271-bp-insertion, of the last 228 bp of atp9. These CMS PET2-specific orfs are co-transcribed. All 11 editing sites of the atp9 gene present in orf231 are fully edited. The anther-specific reduction of the co-transcript in fertility-restored hybrids supports the involvement in male-sterility based on CMS PET2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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25 pages, 5467 KiB  
Article
AOX1-Subfamily Gene Members in Olea europaea cv. “Galega Vulgar”—Gene Characterization and Expression of Transcripts during IBA-Induced in Vitro Adventitious Rooting
by Isabel Velada, Dariusz Grzebelus, Diana Lousa, Cláudio M. Soares, Elisete Santos Macedo, Augusto Peixe, Birgit Arnholdt-Schmitt and Hélia G. Cardoso
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(2), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020597 - 17 Feb 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4179
Abstract
Propagation of some Olea europaea L. cultivars is strongly limited due to recalcitrant behavior in adventitious root formation by semi-hardwood cuttings. One example is the cultivar ”Galega vulgar”. The formation of adventitious roots is considered a morphological response to stress. Alternative oxidase (AOX) [...] Read more.
Propagation of some Olea europaea L. cultivars is strongly limited due to recalcitrant behavior in adventitious root formation by semi-hardwood cuttings. One example is the cultivar ”Galega vulgar”. The formation of adventitious roots is considered a morphological response to stress. Alternative oxidase (AOX) is the terminal oxidase of the alternative pathway of the plant mitochondrial electron transport chain. This enzyme is well known to be induced in response to several biotic and abiotic stress situations. This work aimed to characterize the alternative oxidase 1 (AOX1)-subfamily in olive and to analyze the expression of transcripts during the indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)-induced in vitro adventitious rooting (AR) process. OeAOX1a (acc. no. MF410318) and OeAOX1d (acc. no. MF410319) were identified, as well as different transcript variants for both genes which resulted from alternative polyadenylation events. A correlation between transcript accumulation of both OeAOX1a and OeAOX1d transcripts and the three distinct phases (induction, initiation, and expression) of the AR process in olive was observed. Olive AOX1 genes seem to be associated with the induction and development of adventitious roots in IBA-treated explants. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the stimulus needed for the induction of adventitious roots may help to develop more targeted and effective rooting induction protocols in order to improve the rooting ability of difficult-to-root cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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16 pages, 6062 KiB  
Article
The Roles of Mitochondrion in Intergenomic Gene Transfer in Plants: A Source and a Pool
by Nan Zhao, Yumei Wang and Jinping Hua
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(2), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020547 - 11 Feb 2018
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3985
Abstract
Intergenomic gene transfer (IGT) is continuous in the evolutionary history of plants. In this field, most studies concentrate on a few related species. Here, we look at IGT from a broader evolutionary perspective, using 24 plants. We discover many IGT events by assessing [...] Read more.
Intergenomic gene transfer (IGT) is continuous in the evolutionary history of plants. In this field, most studies concentrate on a few related species. Here, we look at IGT from a broader evolutionary perspective, using 24 plants. We discover many IGT events by assessing the data from nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Thus, we summarize the two roles of the mitochondrion: a source and a pool. That is, the mitochondrion gives massive sequences and integrates nuclear transposons and chloroplast tRNA genes. Though the directions are opposite, lots of likenesses emerge. First, mitochondrial gene transfer is pervasive in all 24 plants. Second, gene transfer is a single event of certain shared ancestors during evolutionary divergence. Third, sequence features of homologies vary for different purposes in the donor and recipient genomes. Finally, small repeats (or micro-homologies) contribute to gene transfer by mediating recombination in the recipient genome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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3181 KiB  
Communication
Identification of Physiological Substrates and Binding Partners of the Plant Mitochondrial Protease FTSH4 by the Trapping Approach
by Magdalena Opalińska, Katarzyna Parys and Hanna Jańska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(11), 2455; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112455 - 18 Nov 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4055
Abstract
Maintenance of functional mitochondria is vital for optimal cell performance and survival. This is accomplished by distinct mechanisms, of which preservation of mitochondrial protein homeostasis fulfills a pivotal role. In plants, inner membrane-embedded i-AAA protease, FTSH4, contributes to the mitochondrial proteome surveillance. [...] Read more.
Maintenance of functional mitochondria is vital for optimal cell performance and survival. This is accomplished by distinct mechanisms, of which preservation of mitochondrial protein homeostasis fulfills a pivotal role. In plants, inner membrane-embedded i-AAA protease, FTSH4, contributes to the mitochondrial proteome surveillance. Owing to the limited knowledge of FTSH4’s in vivo substrates, very little is known about the pathways and mechanisms directly controlled by this protease. Here, we applied substrate trapping coupled with mass spectrometry-based peptide identification in order to extend the list of FTSH4’s physiological substrates and interaction partners. Our analyses revealed, among several putative targets of FTSH4, novel (mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 4 (MPC4) and Pam18-2) and known (Tim17-2) substrates of this protease. Furthermore, we demonstrate that FTSH4 degrades oxidatively damaged proteins in mitochondria. Our report provides new insights into the function of FTSH4 in the maintenance of plant mitochondrial proteome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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3814 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Roles of the Arabidopsis nMAT2 and PMH2 Proteins Provided with New Insights into the Regulation of Group II Intron Splicing in Land-Plant Mitochondria
by Michal Zmudjak, Sofia Shevtsov, Laure D. Sultan, Ido Keren and Oren Ostersetzer-Biran
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(11), 2428; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112428 - 17 Nov 2017
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4245
Abstract
Plant mitochondria are remarkable with respect to the presence of numerous group II introns which reside in many essential genes. The removal of the organellar introns from the coding genes they interrupt is essential for respiratory functions, and is facilitated by different enzymes [...] Read more.
Plant mitochondria are remarkable with respect to the presence of numerous group II introns which reside in many essential genes. The removal of the organellar introns from the coding genes they interrupt is essential for respiratory functions, and is facilitated by different enzymes that belong to a diverse set of protein families. These include maturases and RNA helicases related proteins that function in group II intron splicing in different organisms. Previous studies indicate a role for the nMAT2 maturase and the RNA helicase PMH2 in the maturation of different pre-RNAs in Arabidopsis mitochondria. However, the specific roles of these proteins in the splicing activity still need to be resolved. Using transcriptome analyses of Arabidopsis mitochondria, we show that nMAT2 and PMH2 function in the splicing of similar subsets of group II introns. Fractionation of native organellar extracts and pulldown experiments indicate that nMAT2 and PMH2 are associated together with their intron-RNA targets in large ribonucleoprotein particle in vivo. Moreover, the splicing efficiencies of the joint intron targets of nMAT2 and PMH2 are more strongly affected in a double nmat2/pmh2 mutant-line. These results are significant as they may imply that these proteins serve as components of a proto-spliceosomal complex in plant mitochondria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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6010 KiB  
Article
Cold Treatment Induces Transient Mitochondrial Fragmentation in Arabidopsis thaliana in a Way that Requires DRP3A but not ELM1 or an ELM1-Like Homologue, ELM2
by Shin-ichi Arimura, Rina Kurisu, Hajime Sugaya, Naoki Kadoya and Nobuhiro Tsutsumi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(10), 2161; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18102161 - 17 Oct 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4922
Abstract
The number, size and shape of polymorphic plant mitochondria are determined at least partially by mitochondrial fission. Arabidopsis mitochondria divide through the actions of a dynamin-related protein, DRP3A. Another plant-specific factor, ELM1, was previously shown to localize DRP3A to mitochondrial fission sites. Here, [...] Read more.
The number, size and shape of polymorphic plant mitochondria are determined at least partially by mitochondrial fission. Arabidopsis mitochondria divide through the actions of a dynamin-related protein, DRP3A. Another plant-specific factor, ELM1, was previously shown to localize DRP3A to mitochondrial fission sites. Here, we report that mitochondrial fission is not completely blocked in the Arabidopsis elm1 mutant and that it is strongly manifested in response to cold treatment. Arabidopsis has an ELM1 paralogue (ELM2) that seems to have only a limited role in mitochondrial fission in the elm1 mutant. Interestingly, cold-induced mitochondrial fragmentation was also observed in the wild-type, but not in a drp3a mutant, suggesting that cold-induced transient mitochondrial fragmentation requires DRP3A but not ELM1 or ELM2. DRP3A: GFP localized from the cytosol to mitochondrial fission sites without ELM1 after cold treatment. Together, these results suggest that Arabidopsis has a novel, cold-induced type of mitochondrial fission in which DRP3A localizes to mitochondrial fission sites without the involvement of ELM1 or ELM2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

34 pages, 5731 KiB  
Review
The Complexity of Mitochondrial Complex IV: An Update of Cytochrome c Oxidase Biogenesis in Plants
by Natanael Mansilla, Sofia Racca, Diana E. Gras, Daniel H. Gonzalez and Elina Welchen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(3), 662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030662 - 27 Feb 2018
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 7092
Abstract
Mitochondrial respiration is an energy producing process that involves the coordinated action of several protein complexes embedded in the inner membrane to finally produce ATP. Complex IV or Cytochrome c Oxidase (COX) is the last electron acceptor of the respiratory chain, involved in [...] Read more.
Mitochondrial respiration is an energy producing process that involves the coordinated action of several protein complexes embedded in the inner membrane to finally produce ATP. Complex IV or Cytochrome c Oxidase (COX) is the last electron acceptor of the respiratory chain, involved in the reduction of O2 to H2O. COX is a multimeric complex formed by multiple structural subunits encoded in two different genomes, prosthetic groups (heme a and heme a3), and metallic centers (CuA and CuB). Tens of accessory proteins are required for mitochondrial RNA processing, synthesis and delivery of prosthetic groups and metallic centers, and for the final assembly of subunits to build a functional complex. In this review, we perform a comparative analysis of COX composition and biogenesis factors in yeast, mammals and plants. We also describe possible external and internal factors controlling the expression of structural proteins and assembly factors at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, and the effect of deficiencies in different steps of COX biogenesis to infer the role of COX in different aspects of plant development. We conclude that COX assembly in plants has conserved and specific features, probably due to the incorporation of a different set of subunits during evolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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21 pages, 776 KiB  
Review
Plant Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Protein Insertion
by Renuka Kolli, Jürgen Soll and Chris Carrie
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(2), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020641 - 24 Feb 2018
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 8115
Abstract
During the biogenesis of the mitochondrial inner membrane, most nuclear-encoded inner membrane proteins are laterally released into the membrane by the TIM23 and the TIM22 machinery during their import into mitochondria. A subset of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial inner membrane proteins and all the mitochondrial-encoded [...] Read more.
During the biogenesis of the mitochondrial inner membrane, most nuclear-encoded inner membrane proteins are laterally released into the membrane by the TIM23 and the TIM22 machinery during their import into mitochondria. A subset of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial inner membrane proteins and all the mitochondrial-encoded inner membrane proteins use the Oxa machinery—which is evolutionarily conserved from the endosymbiotic bacterial ancestor of mitochondria—for membrane insertion. Compared to the mitochondria from other eukaryotes, plant mitochondria have several unique features, such as a larger genome and a branched electron transport pathway, and are also involved in additional cellular functions such as photorespiration and stress perception. This review focuses on the unique aspects of plant mitochondrial inner membrane protein insertion machinery, which differs from that in yeast and humans, and includes a case study on the biogenesis of Cox2 in yeast, humans, two plant species, and an algal species to highlight lineage-specific similarities and differences. Interestingly, unlike mitochondria of other eukaryotes but similar to bacteria and chloroplasts, plant mitochondria appear to use the Tat machinery for membrane insertion of the Rieske Fe/S protein. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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595 KiB  
Review
Emerging Roles of Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins in Plant Development
by Pedro Robles and Víctor Quesada
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(12), 2595; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18122595 - 02 Dec 2017
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7511
Abstract
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of eukaryotic cells because they are responsible for energy production through the aerobic respiration required for growth and development. These organelles harbour their own genomes and translational apparatus: mitochondrial ribosomes or mitoribosomes. Deficient mitochondrial translation would impair the activity [...] Read more.
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of eukaryotic cells because they are responsible for energy production through the aerobic respiration required for growth and development. These organelles harbour their own genomes and translational apparatus: mitochondrial ribosomes or mitoribosomes. Deficient mitochondrial translation would impair the activity of this organelle, and is expected to severely perturb different biological processes of eukaryotic organisms. In plants, mitoribosomes consist of three rRNA molecules, encoded by the mitochondrial genome, and an undefined set of ribosomal proteins (mitoRPs), encoded by nuclear and organelle genomes. A detailed functional and structural characterisation of the mitochondrial translation apparatus in plants is currently lacking. In some plant species, presence of small gene families of mitoRPs whose members have functionally diverged has led to the proposal of the heterogeneity of the mitoribosomes. This hypothesis supports a dynamic composition of the mitoribosomes. Information on the effects of the impaired function of mitoRPs on plant development is extremely scarce. Nonetheless, several works have recently reported the phenotypic and molecular characterisation of plant mutants affected in mitoRPs that exhibit alterations in specific development aspects, such as embryogenesis, leaf morphogenesis or the formation of reproductive tissues. Some of these results would be in line with the ribosomal filter hypothesis, which proposes that ribosomes, besides being the machinery responsible for performing translation, are also able to regulate gene expression. This review describes the phenotypic effects on plant development displayed by the mutants characterised to date that are defective in genes which encode mitoRPs. The elucidation of plant mitoRPs functions will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that control organelle gene expression and their contribution to plant growth and morphogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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601 KiB  
Review
The Role of Non-Coding RNAs in Cytoplasmic Male Sterility in Flowering Plants
by Helena Štorchová
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(11), 2429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112429 - 16 Nov 2017
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6305
Abstract
The interactions between mitochondria and nucleus substantially influence plant development, stress response and morphological features. The prominent example of a mitochondrial-nuclear interaction is cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), when plants produce aborted anthers or inviable pollen. The genes responsible for CMS are located in [...] Read more.
The interactions between mitochondria and nucleus substantially influence plant development, stress response and morphological features. The prominent example of a mitochondrial-nuclear interaction is cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), when plants produce aborted anthers or inviable pollen. The genes responsible for CMS are located in mitochondrial genome, but their expression is controlled by nuclear genes, called fertility restorers. Recent explosion of high-throughput sequencing methods enabled to study transcriptomic alterations in the level of non-coding RNAs under CMS biogenesis. We summarize current knowledge of the role of nucleus encoded regulatory non-coding RNAs (long non-coding RNA, microRNA as well as small interfering RNA) in CMS. We also focus on the emerging data of non-coding RNAs encoded by mitochondrial genome and their possible involvement in mitochondrial-nuclear interactions and CMS development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Mitochondria)
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