This book brings together the major techniques used in the isolation or enrichment of individual populations of organelles and other subcellular structures from plants with the goal that, by being able to isolate subcellular structures, the research and understanding of various facets of compartmentalized function in plant cells can be advanced. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, expert contributors provide chapters that contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Isolation of Plant Organelles and Structures: Methods and Protocols will greatly aid those who regularly isolate subcellular components as well as those whose research has lead them to focus on a subcellular compartment or a particular process for the first time, thus producing the need to be able to isolate it or enrich it for study.

This book brings together the major techniques used in the isolation or enrichment of individual populations of organelles and other subcellular structures from plants with the goal that, by being able to isolate subcellular structures, the research and understanding of various facets of compartmentalized function in plant cells can be advanced. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, expert contributors provide chapters that contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Isolation of Plant Organelles and Structures: Methods and Protocols will greatly aid those who regularly isolate subcellular components as well as those whose research has lead them to focus on a subcellular compartment or a particular process for the first time, thus producing the need to be able to isolate it or enrich it for study.

Mitochondria in plants, as in other eukaryotes, play an essential role in the cell as the major producers of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. However, mitochondria also play crucial roles in many other aspects of plant development and performance, and possess an array of unique properties which allow them to interact with the specialized features of plant cell metabolism. The two main themes running through the book are the interconnection between gene regulation and protein function, and the integration of mitochondria with other components of plant cells.

The book begins with an overview of the dynamics of mitochondrial structure, morphology and inheritance. It then discusses the biogenesis of mitochondria, the regulation of gene expression, the mitochondrial genome and its interaction with the nucleus, and the targeting of proteins to the organelle. This is followed by a discussion of the contributions that mutations, involving mitochondrial proteins, have made to our understanding of the way the organelle interacts with the rest of the plant cell, and the new field of proteomics and the discovery of new functions. Also covered are the pathways of electron transport, with special attention to the non-phosphorylating bypasses, metabolite transport, and specialized mitochondrial metabolism.

In the end, the impact of oxidative stress on mitochondria and the defense mechanisms, that are employed to allow survival, are discussed. This book is for the use of advanced undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and beginning researchers in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, integrative biology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, proteomics and plant and agricultural sciences.