Mitonuclear Coevolution in Bumblebees (Bombus): Genomic Signatures and Its Role in Climatic Niche Adaptation.

ABSTRACT: Mitochondria play a central role in cellular respiration, but require close coevolution with the nuclear genome for proper function. This process, termed mitonuclear coevolution, is poorly understood on species-level evolutionary timescales, despite its role in speciation. Here, we investigate mitonuclear coevolution in bumblebees (Bombus), a group of ecologically diverse pollinators with rapid mitochondrial (mt) DNA evolution. Leveraging genomic data from a comprehensive set of 55 bumblebee species, we quantified the evolutionary rate correlation (ERC) between mt genes and nuclear genes that interact with mitochondria (N-mt). We found a strong ERC between mt and N-mt genes, but not among mt genes and random nuclear genes, supporting the mitonuclear coevolution hypothesis. Additionally, we

SUBMITTER: Goncalves LT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12223992 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature