Special Seminar 10/18 - Dr. John F. Allen (of UK) 4 PM Room-- 612 IGB (concourse level)

I would appreciate if you could circulate this announcement in Biological Physics, with special requests for graduate students.

Professor John F Allen (of UK), Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London will be presenting a special seminar on Friday, October 18th at 4pm in 612 IGB on the interesting topic: "Why have chloroplasts and mitochondria retained genomes?" 

 

Why have chloroplasts and mitochondria retained genomes?

Chloroplasts and mitochondria are subcellular bioenergetic organelles with their own genomes and genetic systems. DNA replication and its transmission to daughter organelles produces cytoplasmic inheritance of characters associated with primary events in photosynthesis and respiration. The prokaryotic ancestors of chloroplasts and mitochondria were endosymbionts whose genes became copied to the genomes of their cellular hosts. These copies are now nuclear chromosomal genes that encode either cytosolic proteins or precursor proteins imported into the organelle into which the endosymbiont evolved.  What accounts for the retention of genes for the complete synthesis within chloroplasts and mitochondria of only a tiny minority of their protein subunits? One hypothesis is that expression of genes for components of electron transport chains must respond to physical environmental change by means of a direct and unconditional regulatory control—control exerted by change in the redox state of the corresponding gene product (1). This hypothesis proposes that, to preserve function, an entire redox regulatory system must be retained within its original membrane-bound compartment together with the DNA upon which it acts. Co-location of gene and gene product for Redox Regulation of gene expression (CoRR) is an hypothesis in agreement with the results of a variety of experiments designed to test it and that seem to have no other satisfactory explanation (2). I present evidence relating to the CoRR hypothesis, and consider the mechanism by which transcription of reaction centre genes is coupled to photosynthetic electron transport in chloroplasts.

 1. Allen JF (2017) J. Theor. Biol. 434: 50-57. 

2. Allen JF (2015) PNAS 112: 10231–10238.

 

Govindjee

(Govindjee Govindjee since 2019)

Professor Emeritus, Biophysics, Biochemistry and Plant Biology

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

286/ 669 Morrill Hall, MC-120, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Phone:(217) 333-1794 (office); (217) 721-9954 (cell); 217-337-0627 (landline)

e-mail: gov@illinois.edu

Main page: http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee

Recent publications: http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee/recent_papers.html

News Report: http://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/801235 

Photos of student awardees: http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee/photooftheyear2019.html