Mitochondrial and plastid genome architecture: Reoccurring themes, but significant differences at the extremes

Organellar Genomes from a ∼5,000-Year-Old Archaeological Maize Sample Are Closely Related to NB Genotype

The story of how preColumbian civilizations developed goes hand-in-hand with the process of plant domestication by Mesoamerican inhabitants. Here, we present the almost complete sequence of a mitochondrial genome and a partial chloroplast genome from an archaeological maize sample collected at the Valley of Tehuacán, México. Accelerator mass spectrometry dated the maize sample to be 5,040–5,300 years before present (95% probability). Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome shows that the archaeological sample branches basal to the other Zea mays genomes, as expected. However, this analysis also indicates that fertile genotype NB is closely related to the archaeological maize sample and evolved before cytoplasmic male sterility genotypes (CMS-S, CMS-T, and CMS-C), thus contradicting previous phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genomes from maize. We show that maximum-likelihood infers a tree where CMS genotypes branch at the base of the tree when including sites that have a relative fast rate of evolution thus suggesting long-branch attraction. We also show that Bayesian analysis infer a topology where NB and the archaeological maize sample are at the base of the tree even when including faster sites. We therefore suggest that previous trees suffered from long-branch attraction. We also show that the phylogenetic analysis of the ancient chloroplast is congruent with genotype NB to be more closely related to the archaeological maize sample. As shown here, the inclusion of ancient genomes on phylogenetic trees greatly improves our understanding of the domestication process of maize, one of the most important crops worldwide.

What can we do with 1000 plastid genomes?

The plastid genome of plants is the smallest and most gene-rich of the three genomes in each cell and the one generally present in the highest copy number. As a result, obtaining plastid DNA sequence is a particularly cost-effective way of discovering genetic information about a plant. Until recently, the sequence information gathered in this way was generally limited to small portions of the genome amplified by polymerase chain reaction, but recent advances in sequencing technology have stimulated a substantial rate of increase in the sequencing of complete plastid genomes. Within the last year, the number of complete plastid genomes accessible in public sequence repositories has exceeded 1000. This sudden flood of data raises numerous challenges in data analysis and interpretation, but also offers the keys to potential insights across large swathes of plant biology. We examine what has been learnt so far, what more could be learnt if we look at the data in the right way, and what we might gain from the tens of thousands more genome sequences that will surely arrive in the next few years. The most exciting new discoveries are likely to be made at the interdisciplinary interfaces between molecular biology and ecology.

Goodbye genome paper, hello genome report: the increasing popularity of 'genome announcements' and their impact on science

Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized genomics and altered the scientific publication landscape. Life-science journals abound with genome papers-peer-reviewed descriptions of newly sequenced chromosomes. Although they once filled the pages of Nature and Science, genome papers are now mostly relegated to journals with low-impact factors. Some have forecast the death of the genome paper and argued that they are using up valuable resources and not advancing science. However, the publication rate of genome papers is on the rise. This increase is largely because some journals have created a new category of manuscript called genome reports, which are short, fast-tracked papers describing a chromosome sequence(s), its GenBank accession number and little else. In 2015, for example, more than 2000 genome reports were published, and 2016 is poised to bring even more. Here, I highlight the growing popularity of genome reports and discuss their merits, drawbacks and impact on science and the academic publication infrastructure. Genome reports can be excellent assets for the research community, but they are also being used as quick and easy routes to a publication, and in some instances they are not peer reviewed. One of the best arguments for genome reports is that they are a citable, user-generated genomic resource providing essential methodological and biological information, which may not be present in the sequence database. But they are expensive and time-consuming avenues for achieving such a goal.

The Mitochondrial DNA-Associated Protein SWIB5 Influences mtDNA Architecture and Homologous Recombination

In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared with their animal counterparts, and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators remain to be identified. Here, we show that a mitochondrial SWI/SNF (nucleosome remodeling) complex B protein, SWIB5, is capable of associating with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in Arabidopsis thaliana Gain- and loss-of-function mutants provided evidence for a role of SWIB5 in influencing mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination at specific intermediate-sized repeats both under normal and genotoxic conditions. SWIB5 interacts with other mitochondrial SWIB proteins. Gene expression and mutant phenotypic analysis of SWIB5 and SWIB family members suggests a link between organellar genome maintenance and cell proliferation. Taken together, our work presents a protein family that influences mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination in plants and suggests a link between organelle functioning and plant development.

Divergent copies of the large inverted repeat in the chloroplast genomes of ulvophycean green algae

The chloroplast genomes of many algae and almost all land plants carry two identical copies of a large inverted repeat (IR) sequence that can pair for flip-flop recombination and undergo expansion/contraction. Although the IR has been lost multiple times during the evolution of the green algae, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. A recent comparison of IR-lacking and IR-containing chloroplast genomes of chlorophytes from the Ulvophyceae (Ulotrichales) suggested that differential elimination of genes from the IR copies might lead to IR loss. To gain deeper insights into the evolutionary history of the chloroplast genome in the Ulvophyceae, we analyzed the genomes of Ignatius tetrasporus and Pseudocharacium americanum (Ignatiales, an order not previously sampled), Dangemannia microcystis (Oltmannsiellopsidales), Pseudoneochloris marina (Ulvales) and also Chamaetrichon capsulatum and Trichosarcina mucosa (Ulotrichales). Our comparison of these six chloroplast genomes with those previously reported for nine ulvophyceans revealed unsuspected variability. All newly examined genomes feature an IR, but remarkably, the copies of the IR present in the Ignatiales, Pseudoneochloris, and Chamaetrichon diverge in sequence, with the tRNA genes from the rRNA operon missing in one IR copy. The implications of this unprecedented finding for the mechanism of IR loss and flip-flop recombination are discussed.

Peculiarities within peculiarities - dinoflagellates and their mitochondrial genomes

After the establishment of an endosymbiotic relationship between a proto-mitochondrion and its probable archaeal host, mitochondrial genomes underwent a spectacular reductive evolution. An interesting pathway was chosen by mitogenomes of unicellular protists called dinoflagellates, which experienced an additional wave of reduction followed by amplification and rearrangement leading to their secondary complexity. The former resulted in a mitogenome consisting of only three protein-coding genes, the latter in their multiple copies being scattered across numerous chromosomes and the evolution of complex processes for their expression. These stunning features raise a question about the future of the dinoflagellate mitochondrial genome.

The on-again, off-again relationship between mitochondrial genomes and species boundaries

The study of reproductive isolation and species barriers frequently focuses on mitochondrial genomes and has produced two alternative and almost diametrically opposed narratives. On one hand, mtDNA may be at the forefront of speciation events, with co-evolved mitonuclear interactions responsible for some of the earliest genetic incompatibilities arising among isolated populations. On the other hand, there are numerous cases of introgression of mtDNA across species boundaries even when nuclear gene flow is restricted. We argue that these seemingly contradictory patterns can result from a single underlying cause. Specifically, the accumulation of deleterious mutations in mtDNA creates a problem with two alternative evolutionary solutions. In some cases, compensatory or epistatic changes in the nuclear genome may ameliorate the effects of mitochondrial mutations, thereby establishing coadapted mitonuclear genotypes within populations and forming the basis of reproductive incompatibilities between populations. Alternatively, populations with high mitochondrial mutation loads may be rescued by replacement with a more fit, foreign mitochondrial haplotype. Coupled with many nonadaptive mechanisms of introgression that can preferentially affect cytoplasmic genomes, this form of adaptive introgression may contribute to the widespread discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear genealogies. Here, we review recent advances related to mitochondrial introgression and mitonuclear incompatibilities, including the potential for cointrogression of mtDNA and interacting nuclear genes. We also address an emerging controversy over the classic assumption that selection on mitochondrial genomes is inefficient and discuss the mechanisms that lead lineages down alternative evolutionary paths in response to mitochondrial mutation accumulation.

The Plastid Genome of Polytoma uvella Is the Largest Known among Colorless Algae and Plants and Reflects Contrasting Evolutionary Paths to Nonphotosynthetic Lifestyles

The loss of photosynthesis is frequently associated with parasitic or pathogenic lifestyles, but it also can occur in free-living, plastid-bearing lineages. A common consequence of becoming nonphotosynthetic is the reduction in size and gene content of the plastid genome. In exceptional circumstances, it can even result in the complete loss of the plastid DNA (ptDNA) and its associated gene expression system, as reported recently in several lineages, including the nonphotosynthetic green algal genus Polytomella Closely related to Polytomella is the polyphyletic genus Polytoma, the members of which lost photosynthesis independently of Polytomella Species from both genera are free-living organisms that contain nonphotosynthetic plastids, but unlike Polytomella, Polytoma members have retained a genome in their colorless plastid. Here, we present the plastid genome of Polytoma uvella: to our knowledge, the first report of ptDNA from a nonphotosynthetic chlamydomonadalean alga. The P. uvella ptDNA contains 25 protein-coding genes, most of which are related to gene expression and none are connected to photosynthesis. However, despite its reduced coding capacity, the P. uvella ptDNA is inflated with short repeats and is tens of kilobases larger than the ptDNAs of its closest known photosynthetic relatives, Chlamydomonas leiostraca and Chlamydomonas applanata In fact, at approximately 230 kb, the ptDNA of P. uvella represents the largest plastid genome currently reported from a nonphotosynthetic alga or plant. Overall, the P. uvella and Polytomella plastid genomes reveal two very different evolutionary paths following the loss of photosynthesis: expansion and complete deletion, respectively. We hypothesize that recombination-based DNA-repair mechanisms are at least partially responsible for the different evolutionary outcomes observed in such closely related nonphotosynthetic algae.

Does Cell Size Impact Chloroplast Genome Size?

There is a strong positive relationship between nuclear genome size and cell size across the eukaryotic domain, but the cause and effect of this relationship is unclear. A positive coupling of cell size and DNA content has also been recorded for various bacteria, suggesting that, with some exceptions, this association might be universal throughout the tree of life. However, the link between cell size and genome size has not yet been thoroughly explored with respect to chloroplasts, or organelles as a whole, largely because of a lack data on cell morphology and organelle DNA content. Here, I speculate about a potential positive scaling of cell size and chloroplast genome size within different plastid-bearing protists, including ulvophyte, prasinophyte, and trebouxiophyte green algae. I provide examples in which large and small chloroplast DNAs occur alongside large and small cell sizes, respectively, as well as examples where this trend does not hold. Ultimately, I argue that a relationship between cellular architecture and organelle genome architecture is worth exploring, and encourage researchers to keep an open mind on this front.

Plastome Rearrangements in the "Adenocalymma-Neojobertia" Clade (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae) and Its Phylogenetic Implications

The chloroplast is one of the most important organelles of plants. This organelle has a circular DNA with approximately 130 genes. The use of plastid genomic data in phylogenetic and evolutionary studies became possible with high-throughput sequencing methods, which allowed us to rapidly obtain complete genomes at a reasonable cost. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing to study the "Adenocalymma-Neojobertia" clade (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae). More specifically, we use Hi-Seq Illumina technology to sequence 10 complete plastid genomes. Plastomes were assembled using selected plastid reads and de novo approach with SPAdes. The 10 assembled genomes were analyzed in a phylogenetic context using five different partition schemes: (1) 91 protein-coding genes ("coding"); (2) 76 introns and spacers with alignment manually edited ("non-coding edited"); (3) 76 non-coding regions with poorly aligned regions removed using T-Coffee ("non-coding filtered"); (4) 91 coding regions plus 76 non-coding regions edited ("coding + non-coding edited"); and, (5) 91 protein-coding regions plus the 76 filtered non-coding regions ("coding + non-coding filtered"). Fragmented regions were aligned using Mafft. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Criteria (BC). The analyses of the individual plastomes consistently recovered an expansion of the Inverted Repeated (IRs) regions and a compression of the Small Single Copy (SSC) region. Major genomic translocations were observed at the Large Single Copy (LSC) and IRs. ML phylogenetic analyses of the individual datasets led to the same topology, with the exception of the analysis of the "non-coding filtered" dataset. Overall, relationships were strongly supported, with the highest support values obtained through the analysis of the "coding + non-coding edited" dataset. Four regions at the LSC, SSC, and IR were selected for primer development. The "Adenocalymma-Neojobertia" clade shows an unusual pattern of plastid structure variation, including four major genomic translocations. These rearrangements challenge the current view of conserved plastid genome architecture in terms of gene order. It also complicates both genomic assemblies using reference genomes and sequence alignments using whole plastomes. Therefore, strategies that employ de novo assemblies and manual evaluation of sequence alignments are required to prevent assembly and alignment errors.

Red Algal Mitochondrial Genomes Are More Complete than Previously Reported

The enslavement of an alpha-proteobacterial endosymbiont by the last common eukaryotic ancestor resulted in large-scale gene transfer of endosymbiont genes to the host nucleus as the endosymbiont transitioned into the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial genomes have experienced widespread gene loss and genome reduction within eukaryotes and DNA sequencing has revealed that most of these gene losses occurred early in eukaryotic lineage diversification. On a broad scale, more recent modifications to organelle genomes appear to be conserved and phylogenetically informative. The first red algal mitochondrial genome was sequenced more than 20 years ago, and an additional 29 Florideophyceae mitochondria have been added over the past decade. A total of 32 genes have been described to have been missing or considered non-functional pseudogenes from these Florideophyceae mitochondria. These losses have been attributed to endosymbiotic gene transfer or the evolution of a parasitic life strategy. Here we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes from the red algal parasite Choreocolax polysiphoniae and its host Vertebrata lanosa and found them to be complete and conserved in structure with other Florideophyceae mitochondria. This result led us to resequence the previously published parasite Gracilariophila oryzoides and its host Gracilariopsis andersonii, as well as reevaluate reported gene losses from published Florideophyceae mitochondria. Multiple independent losses of rpl20 and a single loss of rps11 can be verified. However by reannotating published data and resequencing specimens when possible, we were able to identify the majority of genes that have been reported as lost or pseudogenes from Florideophyceae mitochondria.

Moramonas marocensis gen. nov., sp. nov.: a jakobid flagellate isolated from desert soil with a bacteria-like, but bloated mitochondrial genome

A new jakobid genus has been isolated from Moroccan desert soil. The cyst-forming protist Moramonas marocensis gen. nov., sp. nov. has two anteriorly inserted flagella of which one points to the posterior cell pole accompanying the ventral feeding groove and is equipped with a dorsal vane-a feature typical for the Jakobida. It further shows a flagellar root system consisting of singlet microtubular root, left root (R1), right root (R2) and typical fibres associated with R1 and R2. The affiliation of M. marocensis to the Jakobida was confirmed by molecular phylogenetic analyses of the SSU rRNA gene, five nuclear genes and 66 mitochondrial protein-coding genes. The mitochondrial genome has the high number of genes typical for jakobids, and bacterial features, such as the four-subunit RNA polymerase and Shine-Dalgarno sequences upstream of the coding regions of several genes. The M. marocensis mitochondrial genome encodes a similar number of genes as other jakobids, but is unique in its very large genome size (greater than 264 kbp), which is three to four times higher than that of any other jakobid species investigated yet. This increase seems to be due to a massive expansion in non-coding DNA, creating a bloated genome like those of plant mitochondria.

The role of mitochondria in plant development and stress tolerance

Eukaryotic cells require orchestrated communication between nuclear and organellar genomes, perturbations in which are linked to stress response and disease in both animals and plants. In addition to mitochondria, which are found across eukaryotes, plant cells contain a second organelle, the plastid. Signaling both among the organelles (cytoplasmic) and between the cytoplasm and the nucleus (i.e. nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions (NCI)) is essential for proper cellular function. A deeper understanding of NCI and its impact on development, stress response, and long-term health is needed in both animal and plant systems. Here we focus on the role of plant mitochondria in development and stress response. We compare and contrast features of plant and animal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA), particularly highlighting the large and highly dynamic nature of plant mtDNA. Plant-based tools are powerful, yet underutilized, resources for enhancing our fundamental understanding of NCI. These tools also have great potential for improving crop production. Across taxa, mitochondria are most abundant in cells that have high energy or nutrient demands as well as at key developmental time points. Although plant mitochondria act as integrators of signals involved in both development and stress response pathways, little is known about plant mtDNA diversity and its impact on these processes. In humans, there are strong correlations between particular mitotypes (and mtDNA mutations) and developmental differences (or disease). We propose that future work in plants should focus on defining mitotypes more carefully and investigating their functional implications as well as improving techniques to facilitate this research.

Mitochondrial Genome of Palpitomonas bilix: Derived Genome Structure and Ancestral System for Cytochrome c Maturation

We here reported the mitochondrial (mt) genome of one of the heterotrophic microeukaryotes related to cryptophytes, Palpitomonas bilix. The P. bilix mt genome was found to be a linear molecule composed of “single copy region” (∼16 kb) and repeat regions (∼30 kb) arranged in an inverse manner at both ends of the genome. Linear mt genomes with large inverted repeats are known for three distantly related eukaryotes (including P. bilix), suggesting that this particular mt genome structure has emerged at least three times in the eukaryotic tree of life. The P. bilix mt genome contains 47 protein-coding genes including ccmA, ccmB, ccmC, and ccmF, which encode protein subunits involved in the system for cytochrome c maturation inherited from a bacterium (System I). We present data indicating that the phylogenetic relatives of P. bilix, namely, cryptophytes, goniomonads, and kathablepharids, utilize an alternative system for cytochrome c maturation, which has most likely emerged during the evolution of eukaryotes (System III). To explain the distribution of Systems I and III in P. bilix and its phylogenetic relatives, two scenarios are possible: (i) System I was replaced by System III on the branch leading to the common ancestor of cryptophytes, goniomonads, and kathablepharids, and (ii) the two systems co-existed in their common ancestor, and lost differentially among the four descendants.

Animal Mitochondrial DNA as We Do Not Know It: mt-Genome Organization and Evolution in Nonbilaterian Lineages

Animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is commonly described as a small, circular molecule that is conserved in size, gene content, and organization. Data collected in the last decade have challenged this view by revealing considerable diversity in animal mitochondrial genome organization. Much of this diversity has been found in nonbilaterian animals (phyla Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Placozoa, and Porifera), which, from a phylogenetic perspective, form the main branches of the animal tree along with Bilateria. Within these groups, mt-genomes are characterized by varying numbers of both linear and circular chromosomes, extra genes (e.g. atp9, polB, tatC), large variation in the number of encoded mitochondrial transfer RNAs (tRNAs) (0-25), at least seven different genetic codes, presence/absence of introns, tRNA and mRNA editing, fragmented ribosomal RNA genes, translational frameshifting, highly variable substitution rates, and a large range of genome sizes. This newly discovered diversity allows a better understanding of the evolutionary plasticity and conservation of animal mtDNA and provides insights into the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms shaping mitochondrial genomes.

Hoarding and horizontal transfer led to an expanded gene and intron repertoire in the plastid genome of the diatom, Toxarium undulatum (Bacillariophyta)

Although the plastid genomes of diatoms maintain a conserved architecture and core gene set, considerable variation about this core theme exists and can be traced to several different processes. Gene duplication, pseudogenization, and loss, as well as intracellular transfer of genes to the nuclear genome, have all contributed to variation in gene content among diatom species. In addition, some noncoding sequences have highly restricted phylogenetic distributions that suggest a recent foreign origin. We sequenced the plastid genome of the marine diatom, Toxarium undulatum, and found that the genome contains three genes (chlB, chlL, and chlN) involved in light-independent chlorophyll a biosynthesis that were not previously known from diatoms. Phylogenetic and syntenic data suggest that these genes were differentially retained in this one lineage as they were repeatedly lost from most other diatoms. Unique among diatoms and other heterokont algae sequenced so far, the genome also contains a large group II intron within an otherwise intact psaA gene. Although the intron is most similar to one in the plastid-encoded psaA gene of some green algae, high sequence divergence between the diatom and green algal introns rules out recent shared ancestry. We conclude that the psaA intron was likely introduced into the plastid genome of T. undulatum, or some earlier ancestor, by horizontal transfer from an unknown donor. This genome further highlights the myriad processes driving variation in gene and intron content in the plastid genomes of diatoms, one of the world's foremost primary producers.

The (in)complete organelle genome: exploring the use and nonuse of available technologies for characterizing mitochondrial and plastid chromosomes

Not long ago, scientists paid dearly in time, money and skill for every nucleotide that they sequenced. Today, DNA sequencing technologies epitomize the slogan 'faster, easier, cheaper and more', and in many ways, sequencing an entire genome has become routine, even for the smallest laboratory groups. This is especially true for mitochondrial and plastid genomes. Given their relatively small sizes and high copy numbers per cell, organelle DNAs are currently among the most highly sequenced kind of chromosome. But accurately characterizing an organelle genome and the information it encodes can require much more than DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. Organelle genomes can be surprisingly complex and can exhibit convoluted and unconventional modes of gene expression. Unravelling this complexity can demand a wide assortment of experiments, from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to Southern and Northern blots to RNA analyses. Here, we show that it is exactly these types of 'complementary' analyses that are often lacking from contemporary organelle genome papers, particularly short 'genome announcement' articles. Consequently, crucial and interesting features of organelle chromosomes are going undescribed, which could ultimately lead to a poor understanding and even a misrepresentation of these genomes and the genes they express. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics have made it easy to sequence and assemble entire chromosomes, but they should not be used as a substitute for or at the expense of other types of genomic characterization methods.

Repeated replacement of an intrabacterial symbiont in the tripartite nested mealybug symbiosis

Stable endosymbiosis of a bacterium into a host cell promotes cellular and genomic complexity. The mealybug Planococcus citri has two bacterial endosymbionts with an unusual nested arrangement: the γ-proteobacterium Moranella endobia lives in the cytoplasm of the β-proteobacterium Tremblaya princeps These two bacteria, along with genes horizontally transferred from other bacteria to the P. citri genome, encode gene sets that form an interdependent metabolic patchwork. Here, we test the stability of this three-way symbiosis by sequencing host and symbiont genomes for five diverse mealybug species and find marked fluidity over evolutionary time. Although Tremblaya is the result of a single infection in the ancestor of mealybugs, the γ-proteobacterial symbionts result from multiple replacements of inferred different ages from related but distinct bacterial lineages. Our data show that symbiont replacement can happen even in the most intricate symbiotic arrangements and that preexisting horizontally transferred genes can remain stable on genomes in the face of extensive symbiont turnover.

The Roles of Mutation, Selection, and Expression in Determining Relative Rates of Evolution in Mitochondrial versus Nuclear Genomes

Eukaryotes rely on proteins encoded by the nuclear and mitochondrial (mt) genomes, which interact within multisubunit complexes such as oxidative-phosphorylation enzymes. Although selection is thought to be less efficient on the asexual mt genome, in bilaterian animals the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (ω) is lower in mt- compared with nuclear-encoded OXPHOS subunits, suggesting stronger effects of purifying selection in the mt genome. Because high levels of gene expression constrain protein sequence evolution, one proposed resolution to this paradox is that mt genes are expressed more highly than nuclear genes. To test this hypothesis, we investigated expression and sequence evolution of mt and nuclear genes from 84 diverse eukaryotes that vary in mt gene content and mutation rate. We found that the relationship between mt and nuclear ω values varied dramatically across eukaryotes. In contrast, transcript abundance is consistently higher for mt genes than nuclear genes, regardless of which genes happen to be in the mt genome. Consequently, expression levels cannot be responsible for the differences in ω Rather, 84% of the variance in the ratio of ω values between mt and nuclear genes could be explained by differences in mutation rate between the two genomes. We relate these findings to the hypothesis that high rates of mt mutation select for compensatory changes in the nuclear genome. We also propose an explanation for why mt transcripts consistently outnumber their nuclear counterparts, with implications for mitonuclear protein imbalance and aging.

Molecular Evolution: The Perplexing Diversity of Mitochondrial RNA Editing Systems

New analysis of rapidly evolving mitochondrial genomes in calcaronean sponges has demonstrated that accurate gene expression requires systematic nucleotide insertion throughout RNA transcripts, altering previous views that RNA editing systems are difficult to maintain in genomes with high mutation rates.

Novel Insights into Insect-Microbe Interactions-Role of Epigenomics and Small RNAs

It has become increasingly clear that microbes form close associations with the vast majority of animal species, especially insects. In fact, an array of diverse microbes is known to form shared metabolic pathways with their insect hosts. A growing area of research in insect-microbe interactions, notably for hemipteran insects and their mutualistic symbionts, is to elucidate the regulation of this inter-domain metabolism. This review examines two new emerging mechanisms of gene regulation and their importance in host-microbe interactions. Specifically, we highlight how the incipient areas of research on regulatory "dark matter" such as epigenomics and small RNAs, can play a pivotal role in the evolution of both insect and microbe gene regulation. We then propose specific models of how these dynamic forms of gene regulation can influence insect-symbiont-plant interactions. Future studies in this area of research will give us a systematic understanding of how these symbiotic microbes and animals reciprocally respond to and regulate their shared metabolic processes.

The mutational hazard hypothesis of organelle genome evolution: 10 years on

Why is there such a large variation in size and noncoding DNA content among organelle genomes? One explanation is that this genomic variation results from differences in the rates of organelle mutation and random genetic drift, as opposed to being the direct product of natural selection. Along these lines, the mutational hazard hypothesis (MHH) holds that 'excess' DNA is a mutational liability (because it increases the potential for harmful mutations) and, thus, has a greater tendency to accumulate in an organelle system with a low mutation rate as opposed to one with a high rate of mutation. Various studies have explored this hypothesis and, more generally, the relationship between organelle genome architecture and the mode and efficiency of organelle DNA repair. Although some of these investigations are in agreement with the MHH, others have contradicted it; nevertheless, they support a central role of mutation, DNA maintenance pathways and random genetic drift in fashioning organelle chromosomes. Arguably, one of the most important contributions of the MHH is that it has sparked crucial, widespread discussions about the importance of nonadaptive processes in genome evolution.

Protists and the Wild, Wild West of Gene Expression: New Frontiers, Lawlessness, and Misfits

The DNA double helix has been called one of life's most elegant structures, largely because of its universality, simplicity, and symmetry. The expression of information encoded within DNA, however, can be far from simple or symmetric and is sometimes surprisingly variable, convoluted, and wantonly inefficient. Although exceptions to the rules exist in certain model systems, the true extent to which life has stretched the limits of gene expression is made clear by nonmodel systems, particularly protists (microbial eukaryotes). The nuclear and organelle genomes of protists are subject to the most tangled forms of gene expression yet identified. The complicated and extravagant picture of the underlying genetics of eukaryotic microbial life changes how we think about the flow of genetic information and the evolutionary processes shaping it. Here, we discuss the origins, diversity, and growing interest in noncanonical protist gene expression and its relationship to genomic architecture.

Complete Chloroplast and Mitochondrial Genome Sequences of the Hydrocarbon Oil-Producing Green Microalga Botryococcus braunii Race B (Showa)

The green alga Botryococcus braunii is capable of the production and excretion of high quantities of long-chain hydrocarbons and exopolysaccharides. In this study, we present the complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes of the hydrocarbon-producing microalga Botryococcus braunii race B (Showa), with a total length of 156,498 and 129,356 bp, respectively.

From microbiology to cell biology: when an intracellular bacterium becomes part of its host cell

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are now called organelles, but they used to be bacteria. As they transitioned from endosymbionts to organelles, they became more and more integrated into the biochemistry and cell biology of their hosts. Work over the last 15 years has shown that other symbioses show striking similarities to mitochondria and chloroplasts. In particular, many sap-feeding insects house intracellular bacteria that have genomes that overlap mitochondria and chloroplasts in terms of size and coding capacity. The massive levels of gene loss in some of these bacteria suggest that they, too, are becoming highly integrated with their host cells. Understanding these bacteria will require inspiration from eukaryotic cell biology, because a traditional microbiological framework is insufficient for understanding how they work.

From simple to supercomplex: mitochondrial genomes of euglenozoan protists

Mitochondria are double membrane organelles of endosymbiotic origin, best known for constituting the centre of energetics of a eukaryotic cell. They contain their own mitochondrial genome, which as a consequence of gradual reduction during evolution typically contains less than two dozens of genes. In this review, we highlight the extremely diverse architecture of mitochondrial genomes and mechanisms of gene expression between the three sister groups constituting the phylum Euglenozoa - Euglenida, Diplonemea and Kinetoplastea. The earliest diverging euglenids possess a simplified mitochondrial genome and a conventional gene expression, whereas both are highly complex in the two other groups. The expression of their mitochondrial-encoded proteins requires extensive post-transcriptional modifications guided by complex protein machineries and multiple small RNA molecules. Moreover, the least studied diplonemids, which have been recently discovered as a highly abundant component of the world ocean plankton, possess one of the most complicated mitochondrial genome organisations known to date.

From simple to supercomplex: mitochondrial genomes of euglenozoan protists

Mitochondria are double membrane organelles of endosymbiotic origin, best known for constituting the centre of energetics of a eukaryotic cell. They contain their own mitochondrial genome, which as a consequence of gradual reduction during evolution typically contains less than two dozens of genes. In this review, we highlight the extremely diverse architecture of mitochondrial genomes and mechanisms of gene expression between the three sister groups constituting the phylum Euglenozoa - Euglenida, Diplonemea and Kinetoplastea. The earliest diverging euglenids possess a simplified mitochondrial genome and a conventional gene expression, whereas both are highly complex in the two other groups. The expression of their mitochondrial-encoded proteins requires extensive post-transcriptional modifications guided by complex protein machineries and multiple small RNA molecules. Moreover, the least studied diplonemids, which have been recently discovered as a highly abundant component of the world ocean plankton, possess one of the most complicated mitochondrial genome organisations known to date.

Extensive Mitochondrial mRNA Editing and Unusual Mitochondrial Genome Organization in Calcaronean Sponges

One of the unusual features of DNA-containing organelles in general and mitochondria in particular is the frequent occurrence of RNA editing [1]. The term "RNA editing" refers to a variety of mechanistically unrelated biochemical processes that alter RNA sequence during or after transcription [2]. The editing can be insertional, deletional, or substitutional and has been found in all major types of RNAs [3, 4]. Although mitochondrial mRNA editing is widespread in some eukaryotic lineages [5-7], it is rare in animals, with reported cases limited both in their scope and in phylogenetic distribution [8-11] (see also [12]). While analyzing genomic data from calcaronean sponges Sycon ciliatum and Leucosolenia complicata, we were perplexed by the lack of recognizable mitochondrial coding sequences. Comparison of genomic and transcriptomic data from these species revealed the presence of mitochondrial cryptogenes whose transcripts undergo extensive editing. This editing consisted of single or double uridylate (U) insertions in pre-existing short poly(U) tracts. Subsequent analysis revealed the presence of similar editing in Sycon coactum and the loss of editing in Petrobiona massiliana, a hypercalcified calcaronean sponge. In addition, mitochondrial genomes of at least some calcaronean sponges were found to have a highly unusual architecture, with nearly all genes located on individual and likely linear chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial coding sequences revealed accelerated rates of sequence evolution in this group. The latter observation presents a challenge for the mutational-hazard hypothesis [13], which posits that mRNA editing should not occur in lineages with an elevated mutation rate.

Unexpectedly Streamlined Mitochondrial Genome of the Euglenozoan Euglena gracilis

In this study, we describe the mitochondrial genome of the excavate flagellate Euglena gracilis. Its gene complement is reduced as compared with the well-studied sister groups Diplonemea and Kinetoplastea. We have identified seven protein-coding genes: Three subunits of respiratory complex I (nad1, nad4, and nad5), one subunit of complex III (cob), and three subunits of complex IV (cox1, cox2, and a highly divergent cox3). Moreover, fragments of ribosomal RNA genes have also been identified. Genes encoding subunits of complex V, ribosomal proteins and tRNAs were missing, and are likely located in the nuclear genome. Although mitochondrial genomes of diplonemids and kinetoplastids possess the most complex RNA processing machineries known, including trans-splicing and editing of the uridine insertion/deletion type, respectively, our transcriptomic data suggest their total absence in E. gracilis. This finding supports a scenario in which the complex mitochondrial processing machineries of both sister groups evolved relatively late in evolution from a streamlined genome and transcriptome of their common predecessor.

Conservative and compensatory evolution in oxidative phosphorylation complexes of angiosperms with highly divergent rates of mitochondrial genome evolution

Interactions between nuclear and mitochondrial gene products are critical for eukaryotic cell function. Nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial-targeted proteins (N-mt genes) experience elevated rates of evolution, which has often been interpreted as evidence of nuclear compensation in response to elevated mitochondrial mutation rates. However, N-mt genes may be under relaxed functional constraints, which could also explain observed increases in their evolutionary rate. To disentangle these hypotheses, we examined patterns of sequence and structural evolution in nuclear- and mitochondrial-encoded oxidative phosphorylation proteins from species in the angiosperm genus Silene with vastly different mitochondrial mutation rates. We found correlated increases in N-mt gene evolution in species with fast-evolving mitochondrial DNA. Structural modeling revealed an overrepresentation of N-mt substitutions at positions that directly contact mutated residues in mitochondrial-encoded proteins, despite overall patterns of conservative structural evolution. These findings support the hypothesis that selection for compensatory changes in response to mitochondrial mutations contributes to the elevated rate of evolution in N-mt genes. We discuss these results in light of theories implicating mitochondrial mutation rates and mitonuclear coevolution as drivers of speciation and suggest comparative and experimental approaches that could take advantage of heterogeneity in rates of mtDNA evolution across eukaryotes to evaluate such theories.

Are Synonymous Substitutions in Flowering Plant Mitochondria Neutral?

Angiosperm mitochondrial genes appear to have very low mutation rates, while non-gene regions expand, diverge, and rearrange quickly. One possible explanation for this disparity is that synonymous substitutions in plant mitochondrial genes are not truly neutral and selection keeps their occurrence low. If this were true, the explanation for the disparity in mutation rates in genes and non-genes needs to consider selection as well as mechanisms of DNA repair. Rps14 is co-transcribed with cob and rpl5 in most plant mitochondrial genomes, but in some genomes, rps14 has been duplicated to the nucleus leaving a pseudogene in the mitochondria. This provides an opportunity to compare neutral substitution rates in pseudogenes with synonymous substitution rates in the orthologs. Genes and pseudogenes of rps14 have been aligned among different species and the mutation rates have been calculated. Neutral substitution rates in pseudogenes and synonymous substitution rates in genes are significantly different, providing evidence that synonymous substitutions in plant mitochondrial genes are not completely neutral. The non-neutrality is not sufficient to completely explain the exceptionally low mutation rates in land plant mitochondrial genomes, but selective forces appear to play a small role.

Integration of plastids with their hosts: Lessons learned from dinoflagellates

After their endosymbiotic acquisition, plastids become intimately connected with the biology of their host. For example, genes essential for plastid function may be relocated from the genomes of plastids to the host nucleus, and pathways may evolve within the host to support the plastid. In this review, we consider the different degrees of integration observed in dinoflagellates and their associated plastids, which have been acquired through multiple different endosymbiotic events. Most dinoflagellate species possess plastids that contain the pigment peridinin and show extreme reduction and integration with the host biology. In some species, these plastids have been replaced through serial endosymbiosis with plastids derived from a different phylogenetic derivation, of which some have become intimately connected with the biology of the host whereas others have not. We discuss in particular the evolution of the fucoxanthin-containing dinoflagellates, which have adapted pathways retained from the ancestral peridinin plastid symbiosis for transcript processing in their current, serially acquired plastids. Finally, we consider why such a diversity of different degrees of integration between host and plastid is observed in different dinoflagellates and how dinoflagellates may thus inform our broader understanding of plastid evolution and function.

The evolution of sex: A new hypothesis based on mitochondrial mutational erosion: Mitochondrial mutational erosion in ancestral eukaryotes would favor the evolution of sex, harnessing nuclear recombination to optimize compensatory nuclear coadaptation

The evolution of sex in eukaryotes represents a paradox, given the "twofold" fitness cost it incurs. We hypothesize that the mutational dynamics of the mitochondrial genome would have favored the evolution of sexual reproduction. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exhibits a high-mutation rate across most eukaryote taxa, and several lines of evidence suggest that this high rate is an ancestral character. This seems inexplicable given that mtDNA-encoded genes underlie the expression of life's most salient functions, including energy conversion. We propose that negative metabolic effects linked to mitochondrial mutation accumulation would have invoked selection for sexual recombination between divergent host nuclear genomes in early eukaryote lineages. This would provide a mechanism by which recombinant host genotypes could be rapidly shuffled and screened for the presence of compensatory modifiers that offset mtDNA-induced harm. Under this hypothesis, recombination provides the genetic variation necessary for compensatory nuclear coadaptation to keep pace with mitochondrial mutation accumulation.

Mitochondrial genomes are retained by selective constraints on protein targeting

Mitochondria are energy-producing organelles in eukaryotic cells considered to be of bacterial origin. The mitochondrial genome has evolved under selection for minimization of gene content, yet it is not known why not all mitochondrial genes have been transferred to the nuclear genome. Here, we predict that hydrophobic membrane proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genomes would be recognized by the signal recognition particle and targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum if they were nuclear-encoded and translated in the cytoplasm. Expression of the mitochondrially encoded proteins Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, Apocytochrome b, and ATP synthase subunit 6 in the cytoplasm of HeLa cells confirms export to the endoplasmic reticulum. To examine the extent to which the mitochondrial proteome is driven by selective constraints within the eukaryotic cell, we investigated the occurrence of mitochondrial protein domains in bacteria and eukaryotes. The accessory protein domains of the oxidative phosphorylation system are unique to mitochondria, indicating the evolution of new protein folds. Most of the identified domains in the accessory proteins of the ribosome are also found in eukaryotic proteins of other functions and locations. Overall, one-third of the protein domains identified in mitochondrial proteins are only rarely found in bacteria. We conclude that the mitochondrial genome has been maintained to ensure the correct localization of highly hydrophobic membrane proteins. Taken together, the results suggest that selective constraints on the eukaryotic cell have played a major role in modulating the evolution of the mitochondrial genome and proteome.

The past, present and future of mitochondrial genomics: have we sequenced enough mtDNAs?

The year 2014 saw more than a thousand new mitochondrial genome sequences deposited in GenBank—an almost 15% increase from the previous year. Hundreds of peer-reviewed articles accompanied these genomes, making mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) the most sequenced and reported type of eukaryotic chromosome. These mtDNA data have advanced a wide range of scientific fields, from forensics to anthropology to medicine to molecular evolution. But for many biological lineages, mtDNAs are so well sampled that newly published genomes are arguably no longer contributing significantly to the progression of science, and in some cases they are tying up valuable resources, particularly journal editors and referees. Is it time to acknowledge that as a research community we have published enough mitochondrial genome papers? Here, I address this question, exploring the history, milestones and impacts of mitochondrial genomics, the benefits and drawbacks of continuing to publish mtDNAs at a high rate and what the future may hold for such an important and popular genetic marker. I highlight groups for which mtDNAs are still poorly sampled, thus meriting further investigation, and recommend that more energy be spent characterizing aspects of mitochondrial genomes apart from the DNA sequence, such as their chromosomal and transcriptional architectures. Ultimately, one should be mindful before writing a mitochondrial genome paper. Consider perhaps sending the sequence directly to GenBank instead, and be sure to annotate it correctly before submission.

The massive mitochondrial genome of the angiosperm Silene noctiflora is evolving by gain or loss of entire chromosomes

Across eukaryotes, mitochondria exhibit staggering diversity in genomic architecture, including the repeated evolution of multichromosomal structures. Unlike in the nucleus, where mitosis and meiosis ensure faithful transmission of chromosomes, the mechanisms of inheritance in fragmented mitochondrial genomes remain mysterious. Multichromosomal mitochondrial genomes have recently been found in multiple species of flowering plants, including Silene noctiflora, which harbors an unusually large and complex mitochondrial genome with more than 50 circular-mapping chromosomes totaling ∼7 Mb in size. To determine the extent to which such genomes are stably maintained, we analyzed intraspecific variation in the mitochondrial genome of S. noctiflora. Complete genomes from two populations revealed a high degree of similarity in the sequence, structure, and relative abundance of mitochondrial chromosomes. For example, there are no inversions between the genomes, and there are only nine SNPs in 25 kb of protein-coding sequence. Remarkably, however, these genomes differ in the presence or absence of 19 entire chromosomes, all of which lack any identifiable genes or contain only duplicate gene copies. Thus, these mitochondrial genomes retain a full gene complement but carry a highly variable set of chromosomes that are filled with presumably dispensable sequence. In S. noctiflora, conventional mechanisms of mitochondrial sequence divergence are being outstripped by an apparently nonadaptive process of whole-chromosome gain/loss, highlighting the inherent challenge in maintaining a fragmented genome. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to the question of why mitochondria, more so than plastids and bacterial endosymbionts, are prone to the repeated evolution of multichromosomal genomes.

Mutation rates in plastid genomes: they are lower than you might think

Within plastid-bearing species, the mutation rate of the plastid genome is often assumed to be greater than that of the mitochondrial genome. This assumption is based on early, pioneering studies of land plant molecular evolution, which uncovered higher rates of synonymous substitution in plastid versus mitochondrial DNAs. However, much of the plastid-containing eukaryotic diversity falls outside of land plants, and the patterns of plastid DNA evolution for embryophytes do not necessarily reflect those of other groups. Recent analyses of plastid and mitochondrial substitution rates in diverse lineages have uncovered very different trends than those recorded for land plants. Here, I explore these new data and argue that for many protists the plastid mutation rate is lower than that of the mitochondrion, including groups with primary or secondary plastids as well as nonphotosynthetic algae. These findings have far-reaching implications for how we view plastid genomes and how their sequences are used for evolutionary analyses, and might ultimately reflect a general tendency toward more efficient DNA repair mechanisms in plastids than in mitochondria.

Massive and widespread organelle genomic expansion in the green algal genus Dunaliella

The mitochondrial genomes of chlamydomonadalean green algae are renowned for their highly reduced and conserved gene repertoires, which are almost fixed at 12 genes across the entire lineage. The sizes of these genomes, however, are much more variable, with some species having small, compact mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) and others having expanded ones. Earlier work demonstrated that the halophilic genus Dunaliella contains extremely inflated organelle genomes, but to date the mtDNA of only one isolate has been explored. Here, by surveying mtDNA architecture across the Chlamydomonadales, we show that various Dunaliella species have undergone massive levels of mitochondrial genomic expansion, harboring the most inflated, intron-dense mtDNAs available from chlorophyte green algae. The same also appears to be true for their plastid genomes, which are potentially among the largest of all plastid-containing eukaryotes. Genetic divergence data are used to investigate the underlying causes of such extreme organelle genomic architectures, and ultimately reveal order-of-magnitude differences in mitochondrial versus plastid mutation rates within Dunaliella.

Plant mitochondrial genome evolution can be explained by DNA repair mechanisms

Plant mitochondrial genomes are notorious for their large and variable size, nonconserved open reading frames of unknown function, and high rates of rearrangement. Paradoxically, the mutation rates are very low. However, mutation rates can only be measured in sequences that can be aligned--a very small part of plant mitochondrial genomes. Comparison of the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana allows the alignment of noncoding as well as coding DNA and estimation of the mutation rates in both. A recent chimeric duplication is also analyzed. A hypothesis is proposed that the mechanisms of plant mitochondrial DNA repair account for these features and includes different mechanisms in transcribed and nontranscribed regions. Within genes, a bias toward gene conversion would keep measured mutation rates low, whereas in noncoding regions, break-induced replication (BIR) explains the expansion and rearrangements. Both processes are types of double-strand break repair, but enhanced second-strand capture in transcribed regions versus BIR in nontranscribed regions can explain the two seemingly contradictory features of plant mitochondrial genome evolution--the low mutation rates in genes and the striking expansions of noncoding sequences.