Plasmodium falciparum, mitochondrial

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Krungkrai SR, Learngaramkul P, Kudan S, Prapunwattana P, Krungkrai JP (1999) Mitochondrial heterogeneity in human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Science Asia 25 77-83... 

Mitochondria are semiautonomous organelles that live in an endosymbiotic relation with the host cell. These organelles contain their own DNA, which encodes a variety of different proteins and RNAs. The genomes of mitochondrial range broadly in size across species. The mitochondrial genome of the protist Plasmodium falciparum consists of fewer than 6000 base pairs (6 kbp), whereas those of some land plants comprise more than 200 kbp (Figure... 

Baunaure, F., Eldin, P., Cathiard, A. M., and Vial, H. (2004). Characterization of a non-mitochondrial type I phosphatidylserine decarboxylase in Plasmodium falciparum. Mol. 

Krungkrai, J. (1995). Purification, characterization and localization of mitochondrial dihy-droorotate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium falciparum, human malaria parasite. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1243,351-360. 

Fry, M., Webb, E. and Pudney, M. (1990) Effect of mitochondrial inhibitors on adenosine-triphosphate levels in Plasmodium falciparum. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B 96 775-782. 

The P. falciparum mitochondrion contains 30-100 copies of the genome and encodes only three proteins (cytochrome b and subunits I and III of cytochrome oxidase) and ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). The rRNA genes are fragmented and scrambled it does not encode any transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA), ribosomal proteins or ATPase subunits. As such, the Plasmodium mitochondrion denotes an endpoint in the slimming down process whereby the ancient progenitor of all mitochondrial genomes began the slow march to near total dependence on host nuclei (Williamson, 1998). 

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