Databases and informatics resources for analysis of plant mitochondria

Abstract

As more omics data is generated from various plant species, it is becoming increasingly possible to carry out a range of in silico analyses to gain insight into mitochondrial function in plants. From the use of software tools for DNA motif analyses and transcript expression visualization to proteomic and subcellular localization resources, it is possible to carry out significant in silico analyses that are highly informative to researchers and can help to guide experimental design for further mitochondrial study. Databases specific to plant mitochondrial analyses have been developed in recent years, revealing mitochondria- specific information. This chapter outlines the databases and informatics resources that are useful for plant mitochondrial studies, with specific examples presented to indicate how these resources can be used to gain insight into plant mitochondrial function(s).