Plastome evolution in Santalales involves relaxed selection prior to loss of ndh genes and major boundary shifts of the inverted repeat.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Biological aspects of haustorial parasitism have significant effects on the configuration of the plastid genome. Approximately half the diversity of haustorial parasites belongs to the order Santalales, where a clearer picture of plastome evolution in relation to parasitism is starting to emerge. However, in previous studies of plastome evolution there is still a notable under-representation of members from non-parasitic and deep-branching hemiparasitic lineages, limiting evolutionary inference around the time of transition to a parasitic lifestyle. To expand taxon sampling relevant to this transition we therefore targeted three families of non-parasites (Erythropalaceae, Strombosiaceae and Coulaceae), two families of root-feeding hemiparasites (Ximeniaceae and

SUBMITTER: Edlund M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11897430 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature