RNA-Seq data: A goldmine for organelle research

Abstract

GenBank is bursting with eukaryotic RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) results. These data are transforming our view of nuclear transcriptional architecture, butmany scientists are ignoring a major component of the data: mitochondrialand chloroplast-derived sequences. Indeed, organelle transcripts typically represent a significant proportion of the reads generated from eukaryotic RNA-Seq experiments. Here, I argue that these data are an excellent and untapped resource for investigating many aspects of organelle function and evolution. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.