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Tracing Patterns of Chloroplast Evolution in Euglenoids: Contributions from Colacium vesiculosum and Strombomonas acuminata (Euglenophyta)
Author(s) -
Wiegert Krystle E.,
Bennett Matthew S.,
Triemer Richard E.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/jeu.12025
Subject(s) - genome , biology , chloroplast dna , chloroplast , gene , genetics , intron , euglena gracilis
The chloroplast genomes of two photosynthetic euglenoids, C olacium vesiculosum E hrenberg (128,889 bp), and S trombomonas acuminata ( S chmarda) D eflandre (144,167 bp) have been sequenced. These chloroplast genomes in combination with those of E uglena gracilis , E utreptia viridis, and E utreptiella gymnastica provide a snapshot of euglenoid chloroplast evolution allowing comparisons of gene content, arrangement, and expansion. The gene content of the five chloroplast genomes is very similar varying only in the presence or absence of, rrn5 , roaA , psaI , psaM , rpoA , and two t RNA s. Large gene rearrangements have occurred within the C . vesiculosum and S . acuminata chloroplast genomes. Most of these rearrangements represent repositioning of entire operons rather than single genes. When compared with previously sequenced genomes, C . vesiculosum and S . acuminata chloroplast genomes more closely resemble the E . gracilis chloroplast genome in size of the genome, number of introns, and gene order than they do those of the Eutreptiales. Overall, the chloroplast genomes of these five species show an evolutionary trend toward increased intron number, a decrease in gene density, and substantial rearrangement of gene clusters.