Rate heterogeneity in six protein-coding genes from the holoparasite Balanophora (Balanophoraceae) and other taxa of Santalales.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The holoparasitic flowering plant Balanophora displays extreme floral reduction and was previously found to have enormous rate acceleration in the nuclear 18S rDNA region. So far, it remains unclear whether non-ribosomal, protein-coding genes of Balanophora also evolve in an accelerated fashion and whether the genes with high substitution rates retain their functionality. To tackle these issues, six different genes were sequenced from two Balanophora species and their rate variation and expression patterns were examined.

Methods

Sequences including nuclear PI, euAP3, TM6, LFY and RPB2 and mitochondrial matR were determined from two Balanophora spp. and compared with selected hemiparasitic species of Santalales and autotrophic core eudicots. Gene expressio

SUBMITTER: Su HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3478055 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature