Maize chloroplast genes ndhD, ndhE, and psaC. Sequences, transcripts and transcript pools.

We present the nucleotide sequence and derived amino-acid sequence of three genes located in the small single copy region of the maize plastid chromosome. Two genes have some homology to respiratory NADH dehydrogenase subunits. They have been observed in Marchantia and tobacco and are designated ndhD and ndhE. The maize genes code for polypeptides of 58 and 11.3 kilodaltons respectively. The gene psaC is found upstream of ndhD; it encodes an 8.7-kilodalton iron-sulfur protein of PSI. The genes ndhD and psaC are cotranscribed in maize, and give rise to an RNA of 2.1 kilobases. The pool of RNAs from this transcription unit increases about three-fold within the first 10 hours of illumination of dark-grown maize seedlings. On the other hand, ndhE is transcribed independently.