Evolution of the chloroplast genome

We discuss the suggestion that differences in the nucleotide composition between plastid and nuclear genomes may provide a selective advantage in the transposition of genes from plastid to nucleus. We show that in the adenine, thymine (AT)-rich genome of Borrelia burgdorferi several genes have an AT...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences 2003-01, Vol.358 (1429), p.99-107
Main Authors: Howe, Christopher J., Barbrook, Adrian C., Koumandou, V. Lila, Nisbet, R. Ellen R., Symington, Hamish A., Wightman, Tom F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Bacteria - genetics
Base Composition
Borrelia burgdorferi
Chloroplasts
Codons
Dinoflagellate
Dinoflagellida - genetics
DNA, Chloroplast - genetics
Evolution
Evolution, Molecular
Genes
Genome
Genomes
Integron
Molecular Sequence Data
Nucleotide Composition
Nucleotides
Open reading frames
Organelles
Plastid
Plastids
Plastids - genetics
Transposition
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Summary:We discuss the suggestion that differences in the nucleotide composition between plastid and nuclear genomes may provide a selective advantage in the transposition of genes from plastid to nucleus. We show that in the adenine, thymine (AT)-rich genome of Borrelia burgdorferi several genes have an AT-content lower than the average for the genome as a whole. However, genes whose plant homologues have moved from plastid to nucleus are no less AT-rich than genes whose plant homologues have remained in the plastid, indicating that both classes of gene are able to support a high AT-content. We describe the anomalous organization of dinoflagellate plastid genes. These are located on small circles of 2-3 kbp, in contrast to the usual plastid genome organization of a single large circle of 100-200 kbp. Most circles contain a single gene. Some circles contain two genes and some contain none. Dinoflagellate plastids have retained far fewer genes than other plastids. We discuss a similarity between the dinoflagellate minicircles and the bacterial integron system.
ISSN:0962-8436
1471-2970
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2002.1176