Gene loss, pseudogenization, and independent genome reduction in non-photosynthetic species of Cryptomonas (Cryptophyceae) revealed by comparative nucleomorph genomics.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cryptophytes are ecologically important algae of interest to evolutionary cell biologists because of the convoluted history of their plastids and nucleomorphs, which are derived from red algal secondary endosymbionts. To better understand the evolution of the cryptophyte nucleomorph, we sequenced nucleomorph genomes from two photosynthetic and two non-photosynthetic species in the genus Cryptomonas. We performed a comparative analysis of these four genomes and the previously published genome of the non-photosynthetic species Cryptomonas paramecium CCAP977/2a.

Results

All five nucleomorph genomes are similar in terms of their general architecture, gene content, and gene order and, in the non-photosynthetic strains, loss of photosynthesis-related genes. Interestingl

SUBMITTER: Kim JI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9548191 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature