Divergence of RNA polymerase α subunits in angiosperm plastid genomes is mediated by genomic rearrangement.

ABSTRACT: Genes for the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) persist in the plastid genomes of all photosynthetic angiosperms. However, three unrelated lineages (Annonaceae, Passifloraceae and Geraniaceae) have been identified with unusually divergent open reading frames (ORFs) in the conserved region of rpoA, the gene encoding the PEP α subunit. We used sequence-based approaches to evaluate whether these genes retain function. Both gene sequences and complete plastid genome sequences were assembled and analyzed from each of the three angiosperm families. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that the rpoA sequences are likely functional despite retaining as low as 30% nucleotide sequence identity with rpoA genes from outgroups in the same angiosperm order. The ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous s

SUBMITTER: Blazier JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4834550 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature