Rapid evolution of enormous, multichromosomal genomes in flowering plant mitochondria with exceptionally high mutation rates.

ABSTRACT: Genome size and complexity vary tremendously among eukaryotic species and their organelles. Comparisons across deeply divergent eukaryotic lineages have suggested that variation in mutation rates may explain this diversity, with increased mutational burdens favoring reduced genome size and complexity. The discovery that mitochondrial mutation rates can differ by orders of magnitude among closely related angiosperm species presents a unique opportunity to test this hypothesis. We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes from two species in the angiosperm genus Silene with recent and dramatic accelerations in their mitochondrial mutation rates. Contrary to theoretical predictions, these genomes have experienced a massive proliferation of noncoding content. At 6.7 and 11.3 Mb, they are by far the

SUBMITTER: Sloan DB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3260318 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature