Rapid evolution of the plastid translational apparatus in a nonphotosynthetic plant: Loss or accelerated sequence evolution of tRNA and ribosomal protein genes
- 1 October 1992
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in Journal of Molecular Evolution
- Vol. 35 (4) , 304-317
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00161168
Abstract
The vestigial plastid genome of Epifagus virginiana (beechdrops), a nonphotosynthetic parasitic flowering plant, is functional but lacks six ribosomal protein and 13 tRNA genes found in the chloroplast DNAs of photosynthetic flowering plants. Import of nuclear gene products is hypothesized to compensate for many of these losses. Codon usage and amino acid usage patterns in Epifagus plastic genes have not been affected by the tRNA gene losses, though a small shift in the base composition of the whole genome (toward A + T -richness) is apparent. The ribosomal protein and tRNA genes that remain have had a high rate of molecular evolution, perhaps due to relaxation of constraints on the translational apparatus. Despite the compactness and extensive gene loss, one translational gene (infA, encoding initiation factor 1) that is a pseudogene in tobacco has been maintained intact in Epifagus.Keywords
This publication has 71 references indexed in Scilit:
- Codon recognition patterns as deduced from sequences of the complete set of transfer RNA species in Mycoplasma capricolum: Resemblance to mitochondriaPublished by Elsevier ,2004
- Comparative and functional anatomy of group II catalytic introns — a reviewPublished by Elsevier ,2003
- Small single-copy region of plastid DNA in the non-photosynthetic angiosperm Epifagus virginiana contains only two genes: Differences among dicots, monocots and bryophytes in gene organization at a non-bioenergetic locusJournal of Molecular Biology, 1992
- The chloroplast gene for ribosomal protein CL23 is functional in tobaccoFEBS Letters, 1991
- A heptapeptide repeat contributes to the unusual length of chloroplast ribosomal protein S18 Nucleotide sequence and map position of therpl33-rps18 gene cluster in maizeFEBS Letters, 1991
- Chloroplast ribosomal protein L32 is encoded in the chloroplast genomeFEBS Letters, 1990
- Loss of photosynthetic and chlororespiratory genes from the plastid genome of a parasitic flowering plantNature, 1990
- Characterization and footprint analysis of two 5S rRNA binding proteins from spinach chloroplast ribosomesBiochemistry, 1989
- Anticodon Switching Changes the Identity of Methionine and Valine Transfer RNAsScience, 1988
- Sequence homology between spinach nuclear and chloroplast genomesNature, 1983