GENE ORGANIZATION OF THE PLASTID GENOME OF A SAPROPHYTE, MONOTROPASTRUM HUMILE

• Published in: Genes & Genetic Systems Vol. 75; no. 6; p. 365
• Main Authors: WAKASUGI Tatsuya, OGINO Akiko, YAMADA Kyoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Genetics Society of Japan 2000
• ISSN: 1341-7568

Nonphotosynthetic flowering plants are classified into two groups： parasitic plant and saprophyte. Parasitic plants are parasitic on the host plants. Saprophyte is symbiotic with fungi. Structural analysis of the plastid genome is important to investigate the possible role of the plastid genome in the metabolic processes in nonphotosynthetic plants. Structure of the plastid genomes from several parasitic plants have been reported. However the plastid genome of saprophyte has not been studied so far. We started to investigate structure of the plastid genome from a saprophyte Monotropastrum humile. We tried to amplify the plastid DNA from a total DNA preparation by PCR technique. Twelve PCR-fragments were amplified from the total DNA of Monotropastrum humile. Each PCR-fragment was cloned and sequenced. Sequence data were assembled. This result suggested that the plastid genome of Monotropastrum humile was circular DNA of ca. 28.7 kbp. The genome contains no long inverted repeat. It contains only 35 genes. There are 4 rRNA genes, 14 tRNA genes, 16 protein genes for genetic system and one gene for fatty acid biosynthesis. All genes for photosynthesis were not found. Extensive rearrangements of the Monotropastrum plastid genome are evident relative to other land plants.