Fungal-Derived tRNAs Are Expressed and Aminoacylated in Orchid Mitochondria.

ABSTRACT: Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) experience remarkable levels of horizontal gene transfer, including the recent discovery that orchids anciently acquired DNA from fungal mitogenomes. Thus far, however, there is no evidence that any of the genes from this interkingdom horizontal gene transfer are functional in orchid mitogenomes. Here, we applied a specialized sequencing approach to the orchid Corallorhiza maculata and found that some fungal-derived tRNA genes in the transferred region are transcribed, post-transcriptionally modified, and aminoacylated. In contrast, all the transferred protein-coding sequences appear to be pseudogenes. These findings show that fungal horizontal gene transfer has altered the composition of the orchid mitochondrial tRNA pool and suggest that these fo

SUBMITTER: Warren JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11827590 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature