title: Post-transcriptional mending of gene sequences: Looking under the hood of mitochondrial gene expression in diplonemids.
abstract: The instructions to make proteins and structural RNAs are laid down in gene sequences. Yet, in certain instances, these primary instructions need to be modified considerably during gene expression, most often at the transcript level. Here we review a case of massive post-transcriptional revisions via trans-splicing and RNA editing, a phenomenon occurring in mitochondria of a recently recognized protist group, the diplonemids. As of now, the various post-transcriptional steps have been cataloged in detail, but how these processes function is still unknown. Since genetic manipulation techniques such as gene replacement and RNA interference have not yet been established for these organisms, alternative strategies have to be deployed. Here, we discuss the experimental and bioinformatics approaches that promise to unravel the molecular machineries of trans-splicing and RNA editing in Diplonema mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren , Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal , Montreal , Canada.
authors.forename: Matus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valach
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren , Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal , Montreal , Canada.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia , České Budějovice , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Drahomíra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faktorová
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia , České Budějovice , Czech Republic.|c Canadian Institute for Advanced Research , Toronto , Canada.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukeš
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren , Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal , Montreal , Canada.
authors.forename: Gertraud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D056898:Euglenozoa / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017393:RNA Editing; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012343:RNA, Transfer
keywords: Cryptic genes; RNA editing; diplonemids; gene fragmentation; multipartite mtDNA; trans-splicing