The Chloroplast-Derived trnW and trnM-e Genes Are Not Expressed in Arabidopsis Mitochondria

Depending on their genetic origin, plant mitochondrial tRNAs are classified into three categories: the “native” and “chloroplast-like” mitochondrial-encoded tRNAs and the imported nuclear-encoded tRNAs. The number and identity of tRNAs in each category change from one plant specie to another. As some plant mitochondrial trn genes were found to be not expressed, and as all Arabidopsis thaliana mitochondrial trn genes are known, we systematically tested the expression of A. thaliana mitochondrial trn genes. Both the “chloroplast-like” trnW and trnM-e genes were found to be not expressed. These exceptions are remarkable since trnW and trnM-e are expressed in the mitochondria of other land plants. Whereas we could not conclude which tRNAMet compensates the lack of expression of trnM-e, we showed that the cytosolic tRNATrp is present in A. thaliana mitochondria, thus compensating the absence of expression of the mitochondrial-encoded trnW