兰州鲇线粒体基因组序列结构及系统发育分析

利用GenBank中欧洲鲇的线粒体基因组序列, 设计出6对引物, 通过PCR扩增产物直接测序和引物行走(primer walking)法测定了兰州鲇的线粒体基因组序列, 并对其进行结构分析。兰州鲇线粒体基因组序列全长16524 bp, 包括37个基因(2个rRNA基因、22个tRNA基因和13个蛋白质编码基因)和1个非编码区。用最大似然法对鲇形目11种鲇鱼线粒体基因组的13个蛋白质编码基因的核苷酸序列进行系统发育分析。结果显示, 兰州鲇首先跟其他鲇科鱼类聚为一支, 形成一个单系群, 位于系统发育关系树的中部。     

麂属动物小麂线粒体DNA文库的建立和序列分析

通过建立麂属动物小麂线粒体DNA文库，鸟枪法测序，我们获得了小麂线粒体基因组全序列的初步信息，这也是国内有关哺乳动物线粒体基因组全序列的首次报道，与其他哺乳动物线粒体基因组全库列的比较研究发现：全长为16354bp的小麂线粒体基因组同样编码13种蛋白、2种rRNA和22种tRNA，除了用于调控线粒体DNA复制和转录的D-Loop区以外，小麂线粒体基因组各基因长度，位置与其他哺乳动物相似，其编码蛋白质区域的rRNA基因与基因他哺乳动物具有很高的同源性，D－Loop区长度和序列的差异是导致各种哺乳动物线粒体差异的主要原因。     

广西5种常见星虫动物的线粒体基因组特征和系统进化分析

为探明广西北部湾星虫动物的线粒体基因组遗传变异和基因序列特征,采用高通量测序测定广西北部湾5种常见星虫动物的线粒体基因组,并对其基因序列特征、遗传变异、系统进化进行分析。结果显示,星虫动物线粒体基因组具有典型的无脊椎动物线粒体基因组的特征,基因排列高度保守,特别是其13个蛋白质编码基因（PCGs）。此外,星虫动物线粒体基因组的基因均编码在H链上,并存在3个高度保守的基因排列区块,与环节动物和螠虫动物线粒体基因组特征较为相似。cox1、cox2和cob等3个基因进化速率最慢、遗传变异水平最低,适合作为星虫动物种属系统进化研究以及不同种间生物条形码构建的分子标记。nad6、nad4、nad5和nad2等4个基因的遗传变异水平较高（大于60%）,变异位点数量较多,适合作为星虫动物种群遗传多样性研究的分子标记。星虫动物线粒体13个蛋白质编码基因的Ka/Ks比值均低于1（0.058 2-0.726 6）,其中cox1、cox3和cob等3个基因的Ka/Ks比值最低（小于0.1）,表明在星虫动物线粒体遗传进化过程中,这3个蛋白质编码基因承受强烈的自然选择压力和功能束缚。基于线粒体基因组蛋白质编码基因系统进化树的研究结果表明,星虫动物可分为方格星虫纲和革囊星虫纲两个进化分支,星虫动物与环节动物的进化地位、亲缘关系较近,而与软体动物的亲缘关系较远。本研究结果不仅为广西北部湾特色星虫动物渔业资源多样性调查和保护提供分子遗传数据,也为星虫动物系统进化研究提供了科学参考。     

线粒体蛋白转运系统的序列相似性分析

通过在27个不同进化层次物种的基因组和蛋白组中搜索酵母线粒体蛋白转运系统亚基的同源序列, 并进一步分析了同源亚基序列相似性与其所在线粒体位置的关系. 结果表明, 位于线粒体相同位置的模块有类似的序列相似性曲线, 相似性曲线在模块内部一般有波峰和波谷. 从线粒体外膜到基质, 序列相似性整体升高. 线粒体蛋白转运系统亚基与一些功能不相关的蛋白也表现出序列相似关系, 且这些亚基多集中在线粒体的内膜和外膜.     

疣尾蜥虎线粒体基因组全序列及其基因组成

测定了疣尾蜥虎(Hemidactylus frenatus) 的线粒体基因组全序列.序列全长为16 891 bp, 包括13 个蛋白质编码基因、2 个rRNA 基因和22 个tRNA 基因.除大部分基因由重链编码外,仅1个蛋白编码基因和8个tRNA基因由轻链编码.碱基组成的偏好与其他脊椎动物线粒体DNA接近.没有发现长的基因间隔区,说明该基因组的结构十分紧凑.基因组的组成与典型脊椎动物的相近,即没有发现重排、基因或控制区的重复等在其它有鳞类动物中出现过的异常特征.除单性生殖的壁虎外,现有的壁虎类线粒体基因组在基因含量和顺序上是一致的.作为蜥虎属线粒体基因组全序列的惟一代表,该序列有望在有鳞类系统发生的推断上发挥一定的作用.     

红腹锦鸡线粒体基因组全序列及其结构分析

采用PCR扩增方法测定红腹锦鸡Chrysolophus pictus线粒体基因组全序列:序列全长16 678 bp,共有13个蛋白质编码基因、2个rRNA基因和22个tRNA基因.基因组的组成、顺序、编码链的选择、tRNA的结构都与绝大多数鸟类相同或相近.红腹锦鸡线粒体基因组碱基组成分别为:A(30.4％)、T(24.8％)、C(31.2％)、G(13.6％).总的A+T含量为55.2％.除了COⅠ基因起始密码子是GTG,其余12个蛋白质编码基因的起始密码子都是ATG.tRNA基因核苷酸长度为65～76 nt,12S rRNA和16S rRNA基因分别为968和1 604 nt.     

哺乳动物细胞线粒体基因组的转录及调控机制研究进展

目的:系统的归纳和总结近年来哺乳动物线粒体基因组转录及调控机制研究的进展,以期为哺乳动物和人类线粒体疾病及相关医学领域的研究提供参考依据。方法:从哺乳动物线粒体DNA(mtDNA)的结构和转录过程,转录基本元件和转录机制等方面,检索和整理近年来关于哺乳动物细胞线粒体基因组的转录及调控机制的文献并进行总结。结果:线粒体是哺乳动物细胞中普遍存在的具有独立基因组的半自主性细胞器,其主要功能是通过氧化磷酸化为细胞提供ATP,同时对于物质代谢、细胞周期调控、细胞分化和凋亡、细胞信号传递等生理过程发挥着重要作用。近年来对线粒体基因组的转录及其调控机制的研究已取得了一些突破和成果。结论:哺乳动物线粒体基因组的转录与调控机制的研究不仅有助于深入阐明和理解线粒体基因组的表达调控机制,而且也助于揭示临床线粒体病的发病机制。     

灰胸竹鸡和棕胸竹鸡的线粒体基因组结构分析及比较

竹鸡属包括灰胸竹鸡（Bambusicola thoracica）和棕胸竹鸡（B. fytchii）两种鸟类。两种竹鸡线粒体基因组全长为16726 bp,包含13个蛋白编码基因、22个tRNA、2个rRNA和1个控制区。基因排列顺序与红原鸡（Gallus gallus）一致,属于典型的鸟类排列顺序;碱基组成存在明显的AT偏向性。两种竹鸡线粒体基因组的13个蛋白质编码基因的序列长度和终止密码子都完全一样,但部分编码基因的起始位置以及起始密码子存在差异;两种竹鸡的线粒体基因组基因排列紧密;两种竹鸡线粒体全基因组序列之间共有1132个变异位点,其中缺失位点24个,遗传距离为0.071。     

通过同源搜索分析线粒体蛋白转运系统的进化

基于酵母线粒体蛋白转运系统的35个亚基,作者通过同源查找的方法,在27个不同进化层次物种的蛋白组和基因组序列中搜索线粒体蛋白转运系统亚基的同源序列,利用序列之间的同源关系进而构建线粒体蛋白转运系统的进化史.结果显示,线粒体蛋白转运系统的35个亚基中有6个可以在原核物种中找到同源序列,显示了它们的原核起源;线粒体蛋白转运系统的核心亚基出现在真核生物进化早期;其他亚基在真核物种的不同进化分枝中表现出了多样性,并且可以看到一些物种特异性亚基.     

鸟类线粒体基因组及系统发育的研究进展

相对于核基因组而言,线粒体基因组具有结构简单、分子量小、基因排列紧密、严格母系遗传、进化速率较快和无组织特异性等特点。近年来,线粒体DNA已被作为重要的分子标记,应用于推断很多分类等级的系统发育关系。本文综述了脊椎动物线粒体基因组、鸟类线粒体基因组以及Mt DNA在鸟类系统发育研究中的应用等方面的研究现状,并对今后研究前景进行了展望。     

An anaerobic mitochondrion that produces hydrogen

Hydrogenosomes are organelles that produce ATP and hydrogen, and are found in various unrelated eukaryotes, such as anaerobic flagellates, chytridiomycete fungi and ciliates. Although all of these organelles generate hydrogen, the hydrogenosomes from these organisms are structurally and metabolically quite different, just like mitochondria where large differences also exist. These differences have led to a continuing debate about the evolutionary origin of hydrogenosomes. Here we show that the hydrogenosomes of the anaerobic ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis, which thrives in the hindgut of cockroaches, have retained a rudimentary genome encoding components of a mitochondrial electron transport chain. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that those proteins cluster with their homologues from aerobic ciliates. In addition, several nucleus-encoded components of the mitochondrial proteome, such as pyruvate dehydrogenase and complex II, were identified. The N. ovalis hydrogenosome is sensitive to inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I and produces succinate as a major metabolic end product--biochemical traits typical of anaerobic mitochondria. The production of hydrogen, together with the presence of a genome encoding respiratory chain components, and biochemical features characteristic of anaerobic mitochondria, identify the N. ovalis organelle as a missing link between mitochondria and hydrogenosomes.     

Construction of a bacterial artificial chromosome library of S-type CMS maize mitochondria

In order to isolate mitochondrial genes easily, we have developed a new method to construct S-type CMS maize mitochondrial gene library by means of embedding mitochondria and enzymatic digesting mitochondriain situ, preparing mtDNA by electrophoresis, digesting LMP agarose with β-agarase, using BAC vector and electroporation. About 2 500 white clones of Mo17 CMS-J mitochondrial gene library were obtained with the average size of 18.24 kb, ranging from 5 to 40 kb, 63.6% inserts came from mitochondrial genome and represented 48 × mitochondrial genome equivalents. All the probes had detected the positive clones in the gene library. It is helpful to elucidating the maize mitochondrial genome structure and mechanism of S-type CMS, and may give some valuable reference to the construction of other plant mitochondrial genome library.     

线粒体病的分子生物学机制

线粒体病是一种少见的能量代谢病,病情复杂多样,从单一组织损伤或无明显临床症状到多系统发病乃致患者早期死亡,在临床上容易误诊或漏诊,甚至延误治疗.由于线粒体的结构与功能受核基闪组(nDNA)与线粒体基冈组(mtDNA)双重调控,其中大多数线粒体酶、结构蛋白和各种蛋白因子由nDNA编码,因而多数原发性线粒体病是nDNA突变...     

Genome sequence and gene compaction of the eukaryote parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi.

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites infesting many animal groups. Lacking mitochondria and peroxysomes, these unicellular eukaryotes were first considered a deeply branching protist lineage that diverged before the endosymbiotic event that led to mitochondria. The discovery of a gene for a mitochondrial-type chaperone combined with molecular phylogenetic data later implied that microsporidia are atypical fungi that lost mitochondria during evolution. Here we report the DNA sequences of the 11 chromosomes of the approximately 2.9-megabase (Mb) genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (1,997 potential protein-coding genes). Genome compaction is reflected by reduced intergenic spacers and by the shortness of most putative proteins relative to their eukaryote orthologues. The strong host dependence is illustrated by the lack of genes for some biosynthetic pathways and for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Phylogenetic analysis lends substantial credit to the fungal affiliation of microsporidia. Because the E. cuniculi genome contains genes related to some mitochondrial functions (for example, Fe-S cluster assembly), we hypothesize that microsporidia have retained a mitochondrion-derived organelle.     

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases

Many lines of evidence suggest that mitochondria have a central role in ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria are critical regulators of cell death, a key feature of neurodegeneration. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA and oxidative stress both contribute to ageing, which is the greatest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In all major examples of these diseases there is strong evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction occurs early and acts causally in disease pathogenesis. Moreover, an impressive number of disease-specific proteins interact with mitochondria. Thus, therapies targeting basic mitochondrial processes, such as energy metabolism or free-radical generation, or specific interactions of disease-related proteins with mitochondria, hold great promise.     

Advances in the study of helminth mitochondrial genomes and their associated applications

Helminths, including flatworms and roundworms, are abundant organisms that have a variety of life histories. Of these, the genera Schistosoma, Echinococcus, Trichinella are notable parasites of veterinary and medical importance, and cause substantial socio- economic losses throughout China and the rest of the world. Genetic markers in the mitochondrial (mt) genome have proven use- ful for systematic, ecological, evolutionary and population studies, and the growth of mt genomic research has increased in the last two decades. Technological improvements, such as the long-polymerase chain reaction method and high-throughput se- quencing have allowed minute amounts of DNA from single worms, biopsy samples or microscopic organisms to be used for whole mt genome characterization. To facilitate the retrieval, annotation and analyses of mitochondrial features, multiple data- bases and specific software have also been designed and established. This review focuses on current progress, applications and perspectives regarding helminth mt genomics. To date, the complete mt genomes for 93 species of helminths have been sequenced and analyzed. Analyses of the mt genes, including gene content, arrangement, composition and variation have revealed unique features among the helminths when compared with other metazoans. This provides important data concerning their functional and comparative mitochondrial genomics, molecular taxonomy and characterization, population genetics and systematics, and evolu- tionary history. Moreover, mt genome data for parasitic helminths are important for diagnosis, epidemiology and ecology of in- fections. Mitochondrial genome data offer a rich source of markers for the systematics and population genetics of socioeconomi- cally important parasitic helminths of humans and other animals.     

Evolutionary conservation of biogenesis of beta-barrel membrane proteins

The outer membranes of mitochondria and chloroplasts are distinguished by the presence of beta-barrel membrane proteins. The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria also harbours beta-barrel proteins. In mitochondria these proteins fulfil a variety of functions such as transport of small molecules (porin/VDAC), translocation of proteins (Tom40) and regulation of mitochondrial morphology (Mdm10). These proteins are encoded by the nucleus, synthesized in the cytosol, targeted to mitochondria as chaperone-bound species, recognized by the translocase of the outer membrane, and then inserted into the outer membrane where they assemble into functional oligomers. Whereas some knowledge has been accumulated on the pathways of insertion of proteins that span cellular membranes with alpha-helical segments, very little is known about how beta-barrel proteins are integrated into lipid bilayers and assembled into oligomeric structures. Here we describe a protein complex that is essential for the topogenesis of mitochondrial outer membrane beta-barrel proteins (TOB). We present evidence that important elements of the topogenesis of beta-barrel membrane proteins have been conserved during the evolution of mitochondria from endosymbiotic bacterial ancestors.     

Targeting of bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase to mitochondria in transgenic plants

Most mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and are synthesized as precursors containing a presequence at the N terminus. In yeast and in mammalian cells, the function of the presequence in mitochondrial targeting has been revealed by chimaeric gene studies. Fusion of a mitochondrial presequence to a foreign protein coding sequence enables the protein to be imported into mitochondria in vitro as well as in vivo. Whether plant mitochondrial presequences function in the same way has been unknown. We have previously isolated and characterized a nuclear gene (atp2-1) from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia that encodes the beta-subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase. We have constructed a chimaeric gene comprising a putative atp2-1 presequence fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) coding sequence and introduced it into the tobacco genome. We report here that a segment of 90 amino acids of the N terminus of the beta-subunit precursor is sufficient for the specific targeting of the CAT protein to mitochondria in transgenic plants. Our results demonstrate a high specificity for organelle targeting in plant cells.     

Non-mitochondrial complex I proteins in a hydrogenosomal oxidoreductase complex

Trichomonas vaginalis is a unicellular microaerophilic eukaryote that lacks mitochondria yet contains an alternative organelle, the hydrogenosome, involved in pyruvate metabolism. Pathways between the two organelles differ substantially: in hydrogenosomes, pyruvate oxidation is catalysed by pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), with electrons donated to an [Fe]-hydrogenase which produces hydrogen. ATP is generated exclusively by substrate-level phosphorylation in hydrogenosomes, as opposed to oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. PFOR and hydrogenase are found in eubacteria and amitochondriate eukaryotes, but not in typical mitochondria. Analyses of mitochondrial genomes indicate that mitochondria have a single endosymbiotic origin from an alpha-proteobacterial-type progenitor. The absence of a genome in trichomonad hydrogenosomes precludes such comparisons, leaving the endosymbiotic history of this organelle unclear. Although phylogenetic reconstructions of a few proteins indicate that trichomonad hydrogenosomes share a common origin with mitochondria, others do not. Here we describe a novel NADH dehydrogenase module of respiratory complex I that is coupled to the central hydrogenosomal fermentative pathway to form a hydrogenosomal oxidoreductase complex that seems to function independently of quinones. Phylogenetic analyses of hydrogenosomal complex I-like proteins Ndh51 and Ndh24 reveal that neither has a common origin with mitochondrial homologues. These studies argue against a vertical origin of trichomonad hydrogenosomes from the proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont.