Plasmodium falciparum mitochondrial genome

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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... 

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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