The organelle genomes of the endangered seagrass <i>Zostera caespitosa</i> reveal sequence divergences, massive gene transfer, and uncommon RNA editing types.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Zostera caespitosa, a rare submerged angiosperm, is considered endemic to the northwestern Pacific.

Methods

This study assembled and compared the mitochondrial (mt) and chloroplast (cp) genomes of Z. caespitosa to understand the organelle evolutionary patterns.

Results and discussion

The cp genome (143,972 bp) was the second smallest within the seagrasses, whereas the mt genomes (192,246 bp) of Z. caespitosa and other seagrasses were smaller compared to those of other monocotyledons. The protein-coding genes (PCGs) in the organelle genome exhibit a strong A/U bias at codon endings, a selection-driven codon bias. The rates of nonsynonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitutions in the mt genes of Zostera were two times higher th

SUBMITTER: Yong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873085 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature