Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells. The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism. In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.

This detailed volume presents a wide range of techniques for plant mitochondrial analysis, ranging from tried-and-tested work horse techniques to the latest innovations. Within its pages, it explores subjects such as affinity-based isolation of mitochondria with magnetic beads, mitochondrial quality assessment protocols, measurement of uptake and release of specific metabolites, mitochondrial protein identification and visualization, as well as gene splicing and editing, and much more. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Mitochondria: Methods and Protocols provides a highly useful set of methodologies for the plant mitochondrial community to help discover more interesting aspects of plant mitochondria in the years to come.

We have taught plant molecular biology and biotechnology at the undergraduate and graduate level for over 20 years. In the past few decades, the field of plant organelle molecular biology and biotechnology has made immense strides. From the green revolution to golden rice, plant organelles have revolutionized agriculture. Given the exponential growth in research, the problem of finding appropriate textbooks for courses in plant biotechnology and molecular biology has become a major challenge. After years of handing out photocopies of various journal articles and reviews scattered through out the print and electronic media, a serendipitous meeting occurred at the 2002 IATPC World Congress held in Orlando, Florida. After my talk and evaluating several posters presented by investigators from my laboratory, Dr. Jacco Flipsen, Publishing Manager of Kluwer Publishers asked me whether I would consider editing a book on Plant Organelles. I accepted this challenge, after months of deliberations, primarily because I was unsuccessful in finding a text book in this area for many years. I signed the contract with Kluwer in March 2003 with a promise to deliver a camera-ready textbook on July 1, 2004. Given the short deadline and the complexity of the task, I quickly realized this task would need a co-editor. Dr. Christine Chase was the first scientist who came to my mind because of her expertise in plant mitochondria, and she readily agreed to work with me on this book.

Mitochondria in Higher Plants: Structure, Function, and Biogenesis is a collection and interpretation of information on plant mitochondria. It explains not only the basic enzymology of ATP synthesis coupled to electron transport that seems to constitute the major activity of the mitochondria, but also many other aspects that make plant mitochondria rather more diverse than their animal counterparts. Organized into five chapters, this book begins with the morphological and cytological observations on mitochondria, and proceeding through membrane and matrix functions to participation in metabolism and biogenesis. Each section presents the unique properties of plant mitochondria within the framework of general mitochondrial structure and function. This book is intended not only for research workers and students interested in the enzymology of plant mitochondria respiration, but also for graduate and undergraduate students in the field of plant biochemistry, cell physiology, and molecular biology. It will be useful as a starting point for those students wishing to pursue special studies in this field.

Mitochondria are the product of a long evolutionary history. It is now a well established fact that mitochondria did evolve from free living bacteria being the common ancestor of both, eukaryotic mitochondria and α-proteobacteria. Advances in genome sequencing, the establishment of in organello and in vitro assays to name only a few, contributed significantly to advances in plant mitochondrial research. Second generation sequencing and the ability to directly sequence and analyse the whole plant transcriptome certainly will help to develop the research on plant mitochondria to another level in the future. In this book the current knowledge about plant mitochondria is presented in a series of detailed chapters, which have been organized in five main sections: (i) dynamics, genes and genomes; (ii) transcription and RNA processing; (iii) translation and import; (iv) biochemistry, regulation and function; and (v) mitochondrial dysfunction and repair. These sections consist of two to five chapters, each written by well-known specialists in the field. This book thus provides a comprehensive inside in the field of plant mitochondria for the specialist. The addition of a glossary and text boxes to each chapter provides easy access for readers from other subjects and hopefully will attract young scientist to the fascinating and exiting field of plant mitochondria.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Plant Mitochondria" that was published in IJMS

In this timely new 2-volume treatise, experts from around the world have banded together to produce a first-of-its-kind synopsis of the exciting and fast moving field of plant evolutionary genomics. In Volume I of Plant Genome Diversity, an update is provided on what we have learned from plant genome sequencing projects. This is followed by more focused chapters on the various genomic “residents” of plant genomes, including transposable elements, centromeres, small RNAs, and the evolutionary dynamics of genes and non-coding sequences. Attention is drawn to advances in our understanding of plant mitochondrial and plastid genomes, as well as the significance of duplication in genic evolution and the non-independent evolution among sequences in plant genomes. Finally, Volume I provides an introduction to the vibrant new frontier of plant epigenomics, describing the current state of our knowledge and the evolutionary implications of the epigenomic landscape.