Editing Mitochondrial DNA (section)

=== Protists ===
[[Protist]]s contain the most diverse mitochondrial genomes, with five different types found in this kingdom. Type 2, type 3, and type 5 of the plant and fungal genomes also exist in some protists, as do two unique genome types. One of these unique types is a heterogeneous collection of circular DNA molecules (type 4) while the other is a heterogeneous collection of linear molecules (type 6). Genome types 4 and 6 each range from 1–200 kbp in size.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

The smallest mitochondrial genome sequenced to date is the 5,967 bp mtDNA of the parasite ''[[Plasmodium falciparum]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) |url=https://www.idtdna.com/pages/docs/educational-resources/mitochondrial-dna.pdf?sfvrsn=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729031823/https://www.idtdna.com/pages/docs/educational-resources/mitochondrial-dna.pdf?sfvrsn=4 |archive-date=29 July 2016 |access-date=25 February 2016 |publisher=Integrated DNA Technologies}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Tyagi S, Pande V, Das A |date=February 2014 |title=Whole mitochondrial genome sequence of an Indian Plasmodium falciparum field isolate |journal=The Korean Journal of Parasitology |volume=52 |issue=1 |pages=99–103 |doi=10.3347/kjp.2014.52.1.99 |pmc=3949004 |pmid=24623891}}</ref>

[[Endosymbiotic]] gene transfer, the process by which genes that were coded in the mitochondrial genome are transferred to the cell's main genome, likely explains why more complex organisms such as humans have smaller mitochondrial genomes than simpler organisms such as protists.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Genome Type<ref name="Kolesnikov, A. A. 2012" />
!Kingdom
!Introns
!Size
!Shape
!Description
|-
|1
|Animal
|No
|11–28 kbp
|Circular
|Single molecule
|-
|2
|Fungi, Plant, Protista
|Yes
|19–1000 kbp
|Circular
|Single molecule
|-
|3
|Fungi, Plant, Protista
|No
|20–1000 kbp
|Circular
|Large molecule and small plasmid-like structures
|-
|4
|Protista
|No
|1–200 kbp
|Circular
|Heterogeneous group of molecules
|-
|5
|Fungi, Plant, Protista
|No
|1–200 kbp
|Linear
|Homogeneous group of molecules
|-
|6
|Protista
|No
|1–200 kbp
|Linear
|Heterogeneous group of molecules
|}