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Genetics and Genomics of Cucurbitaceae pp 241–252Cite as

Organellar Genomes of the Cucurbits

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Part of the book series: Plant Genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models ((PGG,volume 20))

Abstract

The cucurbit organellar DNAs possess distinctive characteristics of practical and theoretical significance. Whereas the cucurbit chloroplast DNAs are similar in size, structure, and transmission to most Angiosperms, their mitochondrial DNAs show enormous size differences. Plants in the genus Cucumis have some of the largest mitochondrial DNAs among all plants, due in part to accumulation of repetitive DNAs and inter-genomic transfers. Recombination among these repetitive motifs produces structurally diverse mitochondrial DNAs associated with paternally transmitted mosaic phenotypes and altered gene expression. The mitochondrial DNAs of Cucumis species are paternally transmitted, which is relatively rare among Angiosperms. The unique characteristics of the Cucumis organelles are interesting not only from an evolutionary point-of-view, but also may allow for characterization of beneficial organellar-nuclear interactions, generation of mitochondrial mutants, transformation of the mitochondrial DNA, and knock-downs of mitochondrial-gene expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA Agricultural Research Service and Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Michael J. Havey

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  1. Michael J. Havey
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Correspondence to Michael J. Havey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

    Rebecca Grumet

  2. Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Ramat Yishay, Israel

    Nurit Katzir

  3. Agroalimentaries (IRTA), Institute de Recerca i Technologia Agroalimentaries (IRTA), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Garcia-Mas

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Havey, M.J. (2016). Organellar Genomes of the Cucurbits. In: Grumet, R., Katzir, N., Garcia-Mas, J. (eds) Genetics and Genomics of Cucurbitaceae. Plant Genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models, vol 20. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7397_2016_8

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