Interorganellar gene transfer in bryophytes: the functional nad7 gene is nuclear encoded in Marchantia polymorpha

Mol Gen Genet. 1997 Nov;256(5):589-92. doi: 10.1007/pl00008616.

Abstract

The nad7 gene, encoding subunit 7 of NADH dehydrogenase, is mitochondrially encoded in seed plants. In the liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha, only a pseudogene is located in the mitochondrial genome. We have now identified the functional nad7 gene copy in the nuclear genome of Marchantia, coding for a polypeptide of 468 amino acids. The nuclear-encoded nad7 has lost the two group II introns present in the mitochondrial pseudogene copy. Instead, a typical nuclear intron is found to split an exon encoding the presumptive mitochondrial targeting signal peptide and the mature subunit 7 of NADH dehydrogenase. These results suggest that RNA-mediated gene transfer from the mitochondrial into the nuclear genome occurs not only in seed plants but also in bryophytes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cattle
  • Cell Nucleus / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Mitochondria / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • NADH Dehydrogenase / genetics*
  • Plants / enzymology*
  • Plants / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • NADH Dehydrogenase