Location of the matK gene in the chloroplast genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. matK is one of the protein-coding genes involved in functions other than photosynthetic reactions (red boxes). matK maps at the 2–3.5 kb coordinates.
Maturase K (matK) is a plant plastidial gene.[1] The protein it encodes is an organelle intron maturase, a protein that splices Group II introns. It is essential for in vivo splicing of Group II introns.[2] Amongst other maturases, this protein retains only a well conserved domain X and remnants of a reverse transcriptase domain.[3]
Universal matK primers can be used for DNA barcoding of angiosperms.[4]
See also
LtrA, an open reading frame found in the Lactococcus lactis group II introns LtrB. It is an intron-encoded protein, with three subdomains, one of which is a reverse-transcriptase/maturase.
References
^Zoschke R, Nakamura M, Liere K, Sugiura M, Börner T, Schmitz-Linneweber C (February 2010). "An organellar maturase associates with multiple group II introns". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 107 (7): 3245–50. Bibcode:2010PNAS..107.3245Z. doi:10.1073/pnas.0909400107. PMC 2840290. PMID 20133623.
^Ahlert D, Piepenburg K, Kudla J, Bock R (July 2006). "Evolutionary origin of a plant mitochondrial group II intron from a reverse transcriptase/maturase-encoding ancestor". Journal of Plant Research. 119 (4): 363–71. Bibcode:2006JPlR..119..363A. doi:10.1007/s10265-006-0284-0. PMID 16763758. S2CID 8277547.
^Mohr G, Perlman PS, Lambowitz AM (November 1993). "Evolutionary relationships among group II intron-encoded proteins and identification of a conserved domain that may be related to maturase function". Nucleic Acids Research. 21 (22): 4991–7. doi:10.1093/nar/21.22.4991. PMC 310608. PMID 8255751.
^Jing YU, Jian-Hua XU, Shi-Liang ZH (May 2011). "New universal matK primers for DNA barcoding angiosperms". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 49 (3): 176–81. doi:10.1111/j.1759-6831.2011.00134.x. S2CID 86349548.