Genomic Analysis of Chloroplast and Mitochondrial Genomes
Summary
Genomic analysis of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes integrates high-throughput sequencing, comparative genomics and phylogenetic methods to illuminate organelle structure, function and evolution. Chloroplast genomes are generally circular molecules of 120–160 kb organised into large and small single-copy regions flanked by inverted repeats, encoding core genes for photosynthesis, transcription and translation. Mitochondrial genomes exhibit wide variation in size and arrangement among eukaryotes, harbouring genes essential for oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic regulation. Analyses of mutation hotspots, structural rearrangements and heteroplasmy deepen our understanding of lineage divergence, intracellular gene transfer and co-evolution of nuclear and organelle genomes. Applications range from development of molecular markers for population genetics and biodiversity assessment to insights into crop improvement, conservation strategies and the molecular basis of stress tolerance in changing environments.
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Genomic Analysis of Chloroplast and Mitochondrial Genomes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genomic analysis of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chloroplast genome: Circular DNA within chloroplasts encoding genes for photosynthesis, gene expression and organelle maintenance.
Mitochondrial genome: Circular or multipartite DNA within mitochondria encoding genes essential for oxidative phosphorylation and energy metabolism.
Inverted repeats: Identical or highly similar DNA sequences in reverse orientation that flank single-copy regions in chloroplast genomes.
Large single-copy (LSC) and small single-copy (SSC) regions: Unique DNA segments separated by inverted repeats in chloroplast genomes.
Simple sequence repeats (SSRs): Short tandemly repeated DNA motifs that exhibit high polymorphism and serve as molecular markers.
Heteroplasmy: Co-existence of more than one organelle genome variant within a single cell or individual.
Control region: Non-coding segment of mitochondrial DNA involved in regulation of replication and transcription, often with elevated mutation rates.
References
- Complete Chloroplast Genome Structural Characterization and Comparative Analysis of Viburnum japonicum (Adoxaceae). Forests (2023).
- Polymorphisms in the hypervariable control region of the mitochondrial DNA differentiate BPH populations. Frontiers in Insect Science (2022).
- The complete chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of Hyunsasi tree, Populus alba x Populus glandulosa (Salicaceae). Mitochondrial DNA Part B (2019).
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