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Organelle Genetics pp 41–77Cite as

Unusual Mitochondrial Genomes and Genes

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Abstract

The mitochondrial genome is amazingly diverse across eukaryotes; and the more broadly we explore, the more diversity we uncover. Among recently studied mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs), those of Amoebidium, diplonemids, and dinoflagellates are particularly remarkable. The most striking mtDNA features pertain to genome architecture (the shape and number of chromosomes), noncoding regions, gene structure, and gene expression. Surprisingly, several of these unusual features are shared between the three organismal groups, although these protists are members of three different eukaryotic lineages, Opisthokonta (including animals and fungi), Euglenozoa, and Alveolata. Here, we describe the deviant character states of mtDNAs from these protists in comparison with what is seen frequently in other eukaryotes, and we make inferences on the forces that shaped the evolution of these departures from the “norm.”

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada

    Gertraud Burger

  2. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Chris J. Jackson & Ross F. Waller

Authors
  1. Gertraud Burger
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  2. Chris J. Jackson
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  3. Ross F. Waller
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Correspondence to Gertraud Burger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Mount Allison University, York Street 63B, Sackville, E4L 1G7, New Brunswick, Canada

    Charles E. Bullerwell

Appendix

Appendix

Public, Internet-accessible data sources on mitochondrial genomes of all eukaryotes:

  1. 1.

    NCBI’s complete organelle genome section. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/genlist.cgi?taxid=2759&type=4&name=Eukaryotae Organelles)

  2. 2.

    GOBASE is a taxonomically broad database on genomes from mitochondria and chloroplasts as well as selected bacteria belonging to groups from which these organelles originated. GOBASE integrates DNA and protein sequences, RNA secondary structures, and information on RNA editing, taxonomy and human mitochondrial DNA mutations and associated diseases. Data are drawn from various sources including NCBI’s GenBank, and curated diligently. The last update is from June 2010. The database is being maintained, but further updates are not anticipated due to termination of funding.

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Burger, G., Jackson, C.J., Waller, R.F. (2012). Unusual Mitochondrial Genomes and Genes. In: Bullerwell, C. (eds) Organelle Genetics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22380-8_3

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