bims-plasge 2023-06-04 papers

Issue of 2023–06–04
two papers selected by
Vera S. Bogdanova, ИЦиГ СО РАН

Plant Sci. 2023 May 30. pii: S0168-9452(23)00168-1. [Epub ahead of print] 111751

The DYW domain of RARE1 plays an indispensable role in regulating accD-C794 RNA editing in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Dan Liu, Zi-Ang Li, Yi Li, David P Molloy, Chao Huang.

The Arabidopsis pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, required for accD RNA editing 1 (RARE1) and early chloroplast biogenesis 2 (AtECB2), each contain a DYW domain deemed essential for cytosine deamination at the accD-C794 RNA editing site in chloroplasts. Complementation assays using the rare1 mutant investigate the correlation between these PPRs and their respective DYW domain functions in RNA editing of accD-C794. The results demonstrate that the coding sequence of AtECB2 cannot replace that of RARE1. Moreover, rare1 mutants complemented with DYW-deleted RARE1 failed to recover the RNA editing of accD-C794 even in the presence of the highly similar DYW domain of the AtECB2 protein. These findings indicate that RARE1 and AtECB2 possess divergent roles in RNA editing, with specificity for accD-C794 directly attributable to DYW domain within RARE1. Structural modeling data suggest this functioning pertains to a local α-helical motif that residues slightly N-terminal to the consensus glutamate and CXXCH motif in the DYW domain for cytidine deamination during C-to-U editing by RARE1 that is absent within AtECB2.

Keywords: Arabidopsis; AtECB2; RARE1; accD-C794; chloroplast RNA editing

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111751

Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2023 May 26. pii: S0959-437X(23)00033-3. [Epub ahead of print]80 102053

When and why are mitochondria paternally inherited?

Manisha Munasinghe, J Arvid Ågren.

In contrast with nuclear genes that are passed on through both parents, mitochondrial genes are maternally inherited in most species, most of the time. The genetic conflict stemming from this transmission asymmetry is well-documented, and there is an abundance of population-genetic theory associated with it. While occasional or aberrant paternal inheritance occurs, there are only a few cases where exclusive paternal inheritance of mitochondrial genomes is the evolved state. Why this is remains poorly understood. By examining commonalities between species with exclusive paternal inheritance, we discuss what they may tell us about the evolutionary forces influencing mitochondrial inheritance patterns. We end by discussing recent technological advances that make exploring the causes and consequences of paternal inheritance feasible.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2023.102053