Linear Plasmids and the Rate of Sequence Evolution in Plant Mitochondrial Genomes.

ABSTRACT: The mitochondrial genomes of flowering plants experience frequent insertions of foreign sequences, including linear plasmids that also exist in standalone forms within mitochondria, but the history and phylogenetic distribution of plasmid insertions is not well known. Taking advantage of the increased availability of plant mitochondrial genome sequences, we performed phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these plasmids and plasmid-derived insertions. Mitochondrial genomes from multiple land plant lineages (including liverworts, lycophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms) include fragmented remnants from ancient plasmid insertions. Such insertions are much more recent and widespread in angiosperms, in which approximately 75% of sequenced mitochondrial genomes contain iden

SUBMITTER: Warren JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4779610 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature