Mitochondria In Higher Plants

Mitochondria in Higher Plants: Structure, Function, and Biogenesis is a collection and interpretation of information on plant mitochondria. It explains not only the basic enzymology of ATP synthesis coupled to electron transport that seems to constitute the major activity of the mitochondria, but also many other aspects that make plant mitochondria rather more diverse than their animal counterparts. Organized into five chapters, this book begins with the morphological and cytological observations on mitochondria, and proceeding through membrane and matrix functions to participation in metabolism and biogenesis. Each section presents the unique properties of plant mitochondria within the framework of general mitochondrial structure and function. This book is intended not only for research workers and students interested in the enzymology of plant mitochondria respiration, but also for graduate and undergraduate students in the field of plant biochemistry, cell physiology, and molecular biology. It will be useful as a starting point for those students wishing to pursue special studies in this field.

Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells. The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism. In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.

Rapid developments in molecular and systems biology techniques have allowed researchers to unravel many new mechanisms through which plant cells switch over to alternative respiratory pathways. This book is a unique compendium of how and why higher plants evolved alternative respiratory metabolism. It offers a comprehensive review of current research in the biochemistry, physiology, classification and regulation of plant alternative respiratory pathways, from alternative oxidase diversity to functional marker development. The resource provides a broad range of perspectives on the applications of plant respiratory physiology, and suggests brand new areas of research. Other key features: written by an international team of reputed plant physiologists, known for their pioneering contributions to the knowledge of regular and alternative respiratory metabolism in higher plants includes step-by-step protocols for key molecular and imaging techniques advises on regulatory options for managing crop yields, food quality and environment for crop improvement and enhanced food security covers special pathways which are of key relevance in agriculture, particularly in plant post-harvest commodities Primarily for plant physiologists and plant biologists, this authoritative compendium will also be of great value to postdoctoral researchers working on plant respiration, as well as to graduate and postgraduate students and university staff in Plant Science. It is a useful resource for corporate and private firms involved in developing functional markers for breeding programs and controlling respiration for the prevention of post-harvest losses in fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and tubers.

I am honored by the editor's invitation to write a Preface for this volume. As a member of an older generation of plant physiologists, my lineage in plant respiration traces back to F. F. BLACKMAN through the privilege of having M. THOMAS and W. O. JAMES, two of his "students," as my mentors. How the subject has changed in 40 years! In those dark ages B. 14C. most of the information available was hard-won from long-term experiments using the input-output approach. Respiratory changes in response to treatments were measured by laborious gas analysis or by titration of alkali from masses of Pettenkofer tubes; the Warburg respir ometer was just beginning to be used for plant studies by pioneers such as TURNER and ROBERTSON. Nevertheless the classical experiments of BLACKMAN with apples had led to important results on the relations between anaerobic and aerobic carbohydrate utilization and on the climacteric, and to the first explicit concept of respiratory control of respiration imposed by the" organiza tion resistance" of cell structure. THOMAS extended this approach in his investi gations of the Pasteur effect and the induction of aerobic fermentation by poi sons such as cyanide and high concentrations of CO , JAMES began a long 2 series of studies of the partial reactions of respiration in extracts from barley and YEMM'S detailed analysis of carbohydrate components in relation to respira tory changes added an important new dimension.

Mitochondria are critical organelles in the metabolic regulation ofalmost all eukaryotic organisms. Knowledge of their biochemistryand molecular biology in plants has been fuelled over recent yearsby the rapid progress made in genome sequencing and the ability tomanipulate gene expression. Plant Mitochondria contains chapters written by many ofthe world’s leading researchers in this area, bringingtogether and reviewing for the first time many recent advances.Contents include coverage of mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrialgenome instability, expression of the plant mitochondrial genome,import of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, mitochondrialrespiratory complex biogenesis, supramolecular structure of theOXPHOS system, mitochondrial electron transport and oxidativestress, mitochondrial metabolism, cytoplasmic male sterilities andmitochondrial gene mutations, and the mitochondrion in plantprogrammed cell death. Plant Mitochondria is an extremely important and timelyaddition to Blackwell Publishing’s Annual Plant Reviewsseries. David Logan, well known and respected internationally forhis work in this area, has brought together a truly valuable volumeof great use and interest to plant scientists, cell and molecularbiologists, and biochemists. Libraries in all universities andresearch establishments where biological sciences are studied andtaught should have copies of this important book on theirshelves.

Provides a thorough overview of current research with the green alga Chlamydomonas on chloroplast and mitochondrial biogenesis and function, with an emphasis on the assembly and structure-function relationships of the constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus. Contributions emphasize the multidisciplinary nature of current research in photosynthesis, combining molecular genetics, biochemical, biophysical, and physiological approaches. The 36 articles address topics including nuclear genome organization; RNA stability and processing; splicing; translation; protein targeting in the chloroplast; photosystems; pigments; glycerolipids; the ATP synthase; and ferrodoxin and thioredoxin. Further contributions address new measurements methods for photosynthetic activity in vivo; starch biosynthesis; the responses of Chlamydomonas to various stress conditions; nitrogen assimilation; and mitochondrial genetics. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Mitochondria are critical organelles in the metabolic regulation of almost all eukaryotic organisms. Knowledge of their biochemistry and molecular biology in plants has been fuelled over recent years by the rapid progress made in genome sequencing and the ability to manipulate gene expression. Plant Mitochondria contains chapters written by many of the world’s leading researchers in this area, bringing together and reviewing for the first time many recent advances. Contents include coverage of mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial genome instability, expression of the plant mitochondrial genome, import of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins, mitochondrial respiratory complex biogenesis, supramolecular structure of the OXPHOS system, mitochondrial electron transport and oxidative stress, mitochondrial metabolism, cytoplasmic male sterilities and mitochondrial gene mutations, and the mitochondrion in plant programmed cell death. Plant Mitochondria is an extremely important and timely addition to Blackwell Publishing’s Annual Plant Reviews series. David Logan, well known and respected internationally for his work in this area, has brought together a truly valuable volume of great use and interest to plant scientists, cell and molecular biologists, and biochemists. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where biological sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this important book on their shelves.

We have taught plant molecular biology and biotechnology at the undergraduate and graduate level for over 20 years. In the past few decades, the field of plant organelle molecular biology and biotechnology has made immense strides. From the green revolution to golden rice, plant organelles have revolutionized agriculture. Given the exponential growth in research, the problem of finding appropriate textbooks for courses in plant biotechnology and molecular biology has become a major challenge. After years of handing out photocopies of various journal articles and reviews scattered through out the print and electronic media, a serendipitous meeting occurred at the 2002 IATPC World Congress held in Orlando, Florida. After my talk and evaluating several posters presented by investigators from my laboratory, Dr. Jacco Flipsen, Publishing Manager of Kluwer Publishers asked me whether I would consider editing a book on Plant Organelles. I accepted this challenge, after months of deliberations, primarily because I was unsuccessful in finding a text book in this area for many years. I signed the contract with Kluwer in March 2003 with a promise to deliver a camera-ready textbook on July 1, 2004. Given the short deadline and the complexity of the task, I quickly realized this task would need a co-editor. Dr. Christine Chase was the first scientist who came to my mind because of her expertise in plant mitochondria, and she readily agreed to work with me on this book.