Abstract
Higher plant mitochondria are known to respond to cold temperature in terms of cytologically, physiologically, and biochemically. To investigate the relationship between mitochondrial gene expression and cold temperature, alterations in the accumulation of transcripts and the extent of RNA editing were examined in all the mitochondria-encoded genes bearing group II introns when transferred under cold temperature. We used rice and wheat as models for a cold-sensitive plant and a cold-acclimatable plant, respectively. In rice treated at 12˚C for 14 days, the accumulation of transcripts with introns increased or remained unchanged, and RNA editing was not occurred at some sites where usually edited under 25˚C. The accumulation of transcripts without introns decreased or remained unchanged. In wheat treated at 0.5-2.0˚C for 14 days, alteration of the accumulation of transcripts with introns and the occurrence of RNA editing was similar to that of rice, but the transcripts without introns generally increased.
