Summary
Plastids from red and green fruits of the bell pepper, Capsicum annuum L., var. Emerald Giant, were examined for the presence of chromoplast-specific transcripts. Plastid DNA fragments produced by the restriction endonuclease PvuII were individually cut into small pieces, resolved on agarose gels, blotted, and probed with labelled cDNAs prepared from total chloroplast or chromoplast RNA. Although many chloroplast transcripts were detected at high levels in the red fruits, we saw no consistent evidence of chromoplast-specific transcripts. In order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, chromoplast cDNA probes were absorbed with an excess of chloroplast RNAs. We also examined in greater detail regions of the plastid genome thought to contain unidentified open reading frames. None of the Southern blots provided unambiguous evidence of chromoplast-specific transcripts. Taken together with other data, these results make it unlikely, but do not exclude the possibility that plastid genes contribute to chromoplast development.
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Abbreviations
- cDNA:
-
complementary DNA
- cpDNA:
-
chloroplast DNA
- cpRNA:
-
chloroplast RNA
- crRNA:
-
chromoplast RNA
- ORF:
-
open reading frame
- PSI:
-
photosystem I
- PSII:
-
photosystem II
- rRNA:
-
ribosomal RNA
- RuBPC:
-
ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (E.C. 4.1.1.29)
- UORF:
-
unidentified open reading frame
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Gounaris, I., Price, C.A. Plastid transcripts in chloroplasts and chromoplasts of Capsicum annuum . Curr Genet 12, 219–224 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436883
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00436883