Abstract
In plant mitochondrial genomes, there are about 60 genes which encode set of proteins for electron transfer chain and ATP synthesis, 15 to 20 tRNAs and 3 rRNAs. After transcription, the primary transcript is modified by 5' and 3' processing. Although many genes probably depend on co-transcription with upstream genes followed by subsequent processing of the polycistronic RNAs to generate translatable mRNAs, the mechanism of post-transcriptional regulations remains to be elucidated. A mitochondrial gene, orf125, causes male sterility in radishes. To clarify post-transcriptional pattern of the gene, we applied circularized RNA RT-PCR technique. These revealed the gene co-transcribes with trnfM and atp8 gene. In the vicinity of the transcriptional initiation site, there are CNM (consensus nonanucleotide motif) 2 promoter sequences characterized recently in Arabidopsis thaliana. We are conducting to identify 3' end of the transcript.
