Reassessing Interkingdom Horizontal Gene Transfer Suggests Limited Influence on Plant Genomes.

ABSTRACT: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a well-established mechanism of genetic innovation in bacteria, but its impact on eukaryotes-and particularly on plants-remains debated. In recent years, numerous studies have reported hundreds of putative nuclear genes in plants with origins in other kingdoms, often interpreted as adaptive acquisitions. Most of these claims rely on phylogenetic reconstructions, which are highly sensitive to taxon sampling and can shift as new homologs are identified. To reassess this evidence, we systematically collected published reports of interkingdom HGT in plants and reconstructed phylogenetic trees using up-to-date genomic data from public databases. Candidate topologies were first evaluated with an automated tool and then manually curated. Our reanalysis shows that

SUBMITTER: Aguirre-Carvajal K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12711439 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature