Two copies of a DNA element, 'Wendy', in the chloroplast chromosome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii between rearranged gene clusters

High-throughput sequencing of the chloroplast and mitochondrion of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to generate improved de novo assemblies, analyze expression patterns and transcript speciation, and evaluate diversity among laboratory strains and wild isolates

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular chlorophyte alga that is widely studied as a reference organism for understanding photosynthesis, sensory and motile cilia, and for development of an algal-based platform for producing biofuels and bio-products. Its highly repetitive, ~205-kbp circular chloroplast genome and ~15.8-kbp linear mitochondrial genome were sequenced prior to the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies. Here, high coverage shotgun sequencing was used to assemble both organellar genomes de novo. These new genomes correct dozens of errors in the prior genome sequences and annotations. Genome sequencing coverage indicates that each cell contains on average 83 copies of the chloroplast genome and 130 copies of the mitochondrial genome. Using protocols and analyses optimized for organellar transcripts, RNA-Seq was used to quantify their relative abundances across 12 different growth conditions. Forty-six percent of total cellular mRNA is attributable to high expression from a few dozen chloroplast genes. RNA-Seq data were used to guide gene annotation, to demonstrate polycistronic gene expression, and to quantify splicing of psaA and psbA introns. In contrast to a conclusion from a recent study, we found that chloroplast transcripts are not edited. Unexpectedly, cytosine-rich polynucleotide tails were observed at the 3'-end of all mitochondrial transcripts. A comparative genomics analysis of eight laboratory strains and 11 wild isolates of C. reinhardtii identified 2658 variants in the organellar genomes, which is 1/10th as much genetic diversity as is found in the nucleus.

Plastome Sequencing of Ten Nonmodel Crop Species Uncovers a Large Insertion of Mitochondrial DNA in Cashew

In plant evolution, intracellular gene transfer (IGT) is a prevalent, ongoing process. While nuclear and mitochondrial genomes are known to integrate foreign DNA via IGT and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), plastid genomes (plastomes) have resisted foreign DNA incorporation and only recently has IGT been uncovered in the plastomes of a few land plants. In this study, we completed plastome sequences for l0 crop species and describe a number of structural features including variation in gene and intron content, inversions, and expansion and contraction of the inverted repeat (IR). We identified a putative in cinnamon ( J. Presl) and other sequenced Lauraceae and an apparent functional transfer of to the nucleus of quinoa ( Willd.). In the orchard tree cashew ( L.), we report the insertion of an ∼6.7-kb fragment of mitochondrial DNA into the plastome IR. BLASTn analyses returned high identity hits to mitogenome sequences including an intact open reading frame. Using three plastome markers for five species of , we generated a phylogeny to investigate the distribution and timing of the insertion. Four species share the insertion, suggesting that this event occurred <20 million yr ago in a single clade in the genus. Our study extends the observation of mitochondrial to plastome IGT to include long-lived tree species. While previous studies have suggested possible mechanisms facilitating IGT to the plastome, more examples of this phenomenon, along with more complete mitogenome sequences, will be required before a common, or variable, mechanism can be elucidated.

Small RNA profiling in Chlamydomonas: insights into chloroplast RNA metabolism

In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, regulation of chloroplast gene expression is mainly post-transcriptional. It requires nucleus-encoded trans-acting protein factors for maturation/stabilization (M factors) or translation (T factors) of specific target mRNAs. We used long- and small-RNA sequencing to generate a detailed map of the transcriptome. Clusters of sRNAs marked the 5' end of all mature mRNAs. Their absence in M-factor mutants reflects the protection of transcript 5' end by the cognate factor. Enzymatic removal of 5'-triphosphates allowed identifying those cosRNA that mark a transcription start site. We detected another class of sRNAs derived from low abundance transcripts, antisense to mRNAs. The formation of antisense sRNAs required the presence of the complementary mRNA and was stimulated when translation was inhibited by chloramphenicol or lincomycin. We propose that they derive from degradation of double-stranded RNAs generated by pairing of antisense and sense transcripts, a process normally hindered by the traveling of the ribosomes. In addition, chloramphenicol treatment, by freezing ribosomes on the mRNA, caused the accumulation of 32-34 nt ribosome-protected fragments. Using this 'in vivo ribosome footprinting', we identified the function and molecular target of two candidate trans-acting factors.

Bridge-Induced Translocation between NUP145 and TOP2 Yeast Genes Models the Genetic Fusion between the Human Orthologs Associated With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

In mammalian organisms liquid tumors such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are related to spontaneous chromosomal translocations ensuing in gene fusions. We previously developed a system named bridge-induced translocation (BIT) that allows linking together two different chromosomes exploiting the strong endogenous homologous recombination system of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The BIT system generates a heterogeneous population of cells with different aneuploidies and severe aberrant phenotypes reminiscent of a cancerogenic transformation. In this work, thanks to a complex pop-out methodology of the marker used for the selection of translocants, we succeeded by BIT technology to precisely reproduce in yeast the peculiar chromosome translocation that has been associated with AML, characterized by the fusion between the human genes NUP98 and TOP2B. To shed light on the origin of the DNA fragility within NUP98, an extensive analysis of the curvature, bending, thermostability, and B-Z transition aptitude of the breakpoint region of NUP98 and of its yeast ortholog NUP145 has been performed. On this basis, a DNA cassette carrying homologous tails to the two genes was amplified by PCR and allowed the targeted fusion between NUP145 and TOP2, leading to reproduce the chimeric transcript in a diploid strain of S. cerevisiae. The resulting translocated yeast obtained through BIT appears characterized by abnormal spherical bodies of nearly 500 nm of diameter, absence of external membrane and defined cytoplasmic localization. Since Nup98 is a well-known regulator of the post-transcriptional modification of P53 target genes, and P53 mutations are occasionally reported in AML, this translocant yeast strain can be used as a model to test the constitutive expression of human P53. Although the abnormal phenotype of the translocant yeast was never rescued by its expression, an exogenous P53 was recognized to confer increased vitality to the translocants, in spite of its usual and well-documented toxicity to wild-type yeast strains. These results obtained in yeast could provide new grounds for the interpretation of past observations made in leukemic patients indicating a possible involvement of P53 in cell transformation toward AML.

Recombination-dependent replication and gene conversion homogenize repeat sequences and diversify plastid genome structure

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

There is a misinterpretation in the literature regarding the variable orientation of the small single copy region of plastid genomes (plastomes). The common phenomenon of small and large single copy inversion, hypothesized to occur through intramolecular recombination between inverted repeats (IR) in a circular, single unit-genome, in fact, more likely occurs through recombination-dependent replication (RDR) of linear plastome templates. If RDR can be primed through both intra- and intermolecular recombination, then this mechanism could not only create inversion isomers of so-called single copy regions, but also an array of alternative sequence arrangements.

METHODS

We used Illumina paired-end and PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequences to characterize repeat structure in the plastome of Monsonia emarginata (Geraniaceae). We used OrgConv and inspected nucleotide alignments to infer ancestral nucleotides and identify gene conversion among repeats and mapped long (>1 kb) SMRT reads against the unit-genome assembly to identify alternative sequence arrangements.

RESULTS

Although M. emarginata lacks the canonical IR, we found that large repeats (>1 kilobase; kb) represent ∼22% of the plastome nucleotide content. Among the largest repeats (>2 kb), we identified GC-biased gene conversion and mapping filtered, long SMRT reads to the M. emarginata unit-genome assembly revealed alternative, substoichiometric sequence arrangements.

CONCLUSION

We offer a model based on RDR and gene conversion between long repeated sequences in the M. emarginata plastome and provide support that both intra-and intermolecular recombination between large repeats, particularly in repeat-rich plastomes, varies unit-genome structure while homogenizing the nucleotide sequence of repeats.

Systems Analysis of the Response of Photosynthesis, Metabolism, and Growth to an Increase in Irradiance in the Photosynthetic Model Organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We investigated the systems response of metabolism and growth after an increase in irradiance in the nonsaturating range in the algal model Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In a three-step process, photosynthesis and the levels of metabolites increased immediately, growth increased after 10 to 15 min, and transcript and protein abundance responded by 40 and 120 to 240 min, respectively. In the first phase, starch and metabolites provided a transient buffer for carbon until growth increased. This uncouples photosynthesis from growth in a fluctuating light environment. In the first and second phases, rising metabolite levels and increased polysome loading drove an increase in fluxes. Most Calvin-Benson cycle (CBC) enzymes were substrate-limited in vivo, and strikingly, many were present at higher concentrations than their substrates, explaining how rising metabolite levels stimulate CBC flux. Rubisco, fructose-1,6-biosphosphatase, and seduheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase were close to substrate saturation in vivo, and flux was increased by posttranslational activation. In the third phase, changes in abundance of particular proteins, including increases in plastidial ATP synthase and some CBC enzymes, relieved potential bottlenecks and readjusted protein allocation between different processes. Despite reasonable overall agreement between changes in transcript and protein abundance (R2 = 0.24), many proteins, including those in photosynthesis, changed independently of transcript abundance.

Repression of essential chloroplast genes reveals new signaling pathways and regulatory feedback loops in chlamydomonas

Although reverse genetics has been used to elucidate the function of numerous chloroplast proteins, the characterization of essential plastid genes and their role in chloroplast biogenesis and cell survival has not yet been achieved. Therefore, we developed a robust repressible chloroplast gene expression system in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii based mainly on a vitamin-repressible riboswitch, and we used this system to study the role of two essential chloroplast genes: ribosomal protein S12 (rps12), encoding a plastid ribosomal protein, and rpoA, encoding the α-subunit of chloroplast bacterial-like RNA polymerase. Repression of either of these two genes leads to the arrest of cell growth, and it induces a response that involves changes in expression of nuclear genes implicated in chloroplast biogenesis, protein turnover, and stress. This response also leads to the overaccumulation of several plastid transcripts and reveals the existence of multiple negative regulatory feedback loops in the chloroplast gene circuitry.

CHLOROPLAST GENETIC TOOL FOR THE GREEN MICROALGAE HAEMATOCOCCUS PLUVIALIS (CHLOROPHYCEAE, VOLVOCALES)(1)

At present, there is strong commercial demand for recombinant proteins, such as antigens, antibodies, biopharmaceuticals, and industrial enzymes, which cannot be fulfilled by existing procedures. Thus, an intensive search for alternative models that may provide efficiency, safety, and quality control is being undertaken by a number of laboratories around the world. The chloroplast of the eukaryotic microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis Flotow has arisen as a candidate for a novel expression platform for recombinant protein production. However, there are important drawbacks that need to be resolved before it can become such a system. The most significant of these are chloroplast genome characterizations, and the development of chloroplast transformation vectors based upon specific endogenous promoters and on homologous targeting regions. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of endogenous chloroplast sequences for use as genetic tools for the construction of H. pluvialis specific expression vectors to efficiently transform the chloroplast of this microalga via microprojectile bombardment. As a consequence, H. pluvialis shows promise as a platform for expressing recombinant proteins for biotechnological applications, for instance, the development of oral vaccines for aquaculture.

De novo assembly of the carrot mitochondrial genome using next generation sequencing of whole genomic DNA provides first evidence of DNA transfer into an angiosperm plastid genome

BACKGROUND

Sequence analysis of organelle genomes has revealed important aspects of plant cell evolution. The scope of this study was to develop an approach for de novo assembly of the carrot mitochondrial genome using next generation sequence data from total genomic DNA.

RESULTS

Sequencing data from a carrot 454 whole genome library were used to develop a de novo assembly of the mitochondrial genome. Development of a new bioinformatic tool allowed visualizing contig connections and elucidation of the de novo assembly. Southern hybridization demonstrated recombination across two large repeats. Genome annotation allowed identification of 44 protein coding genes, three rRNA and 17 tRNA. Identification of the plastid genome sequence allowed organelle genome comparison. Mitochondrial intergenic sequence analysis allowed detection of a fragment of DNA specific to the carrot plastid genome. PCR amplification and sequence analysis across different Apiaceae species revealed consistent conservation of this fragment in the mitochondrial genomes and an insertion in Daucus plastid genomes, giving evidence of a mitochondrial to plastid transfer of DNA. Sequence similarity with a retrotransposon element suggests a possibility that a transposon-like event transferred this sequence into the plastid genome.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirmed that whole genome sequencing is a practical approach for de novo assembly of higher plant mitochondrial genomes. In addition, a new aspect of intercompartmental genome interaction was reported providing the first evidence for DNA transfer into an angiosperm plastid genome. The approach used here could be used more broadly to sequence and assemble mitochondrial genomes of diverse species. This information will allow us to better understand intercompartmental interactions and cell evolution.

The evolution of the plastid chromosome in land plants: gene content, gene order, gene function

This review bridges functional and evolutionary aspects of plastid chromosome architecture in land plants and their putative ancestors. We provide an overview on the structure and composition of the plastid genome of land plants as well as the functions of its genes in an explicit phylogenetic and evolutionary context. We will discuss the architecture of land plant plastid chromosomes, including gene content and synteny across land plants. Moreover, we will explore the functions and roles of plastid encoded genes in metabolism and their evolutionary importance regarding gene retention and conservation. We suggest that the slow mode at which the plastome typically evolves is likely to be influenced by a combination of different molecular mechanisms. These include the organization of plastid genes in operons, the usually uniparental mode of plastid inheritance, the activity of highly effective repair mechanisms as well as the rarity of plastid fusion. Nevertheless, structurally rearranged plastomes can be found in several unrelated lineages (e.g. ferns, Pinaceae, multiple angiosperm families). Rearrangements and gene losses seem to correlate with an unusual mode of plastid transmission, abundance of repeats, or a heterotrophic lifestyle (parasites or myco-heterotrophs). While only a few functional gene gains and more frequent gene losses have been inferred for land plants, the plastid Ndh complex is one example of multiple independent gene losses and will be discussed in detail. Patterns of ndh-gene loss and functional analyses indicate that these losses are usually found in plant groups with a certain degree of heterotrophy, might rendering plastid encoded Ndh1 subunits dispensable.

Extreme reconfiguration of plastid genomes in the angiosperm family Geraniaceae: rearrangements, repeats, and codon usage

Geraniaceae plastid genomes (plastomes) have experienced a remarkable number of genomic changes. The plastomes of Erodium texanum, Geranium palmatum, and Monsonia speciosa were sequenced and compared with other rosids and the previously published Pelargonium hortorum plastome. Geraniaceae plastomes were found to be highly variable in size, gene content and order, repetitive DNA, and codon usage. Several unique plastome rearrangements include the disruption of two highly conserved operons (S10 and rps2-atpA), and the inverted repeat (IR) region in M. speciosa does not contain all genes in the ribosomal RNA operon. The sequence of M. speciosa is unusually small (128,787 bp); among angiosperm plastomes sequenced to date, only those of nonphotosynthetic species and those that have lost one IR copy are smaller. In contrast, the plastome of P. hortorum is the largest, at 217,942 bp. These genomes have experienced numerous gene and intron losses and partial and complete gene duplications. Some of the losses are shared throughout the family (e.g., trnT-GGU and the introns of rps16 and rpl16); however, other losses are homoplasious (e.g., trnG-UCC intron in G. palmatum and M. speciosa). IR length is also highly variable. The IR in P. hortorum was previously shown to be greatly expanded to 76 kb, and the IR is lost in E. texanum and reduced in G. palmatum (11 kb) and M. speciosa (7 kb). Geraniaceae plastomes contain a high frequency of large repeats (>100 bp) relative to other rosids. Within each plastome, repeats are often located at rearrangement end points and many repeats shared among the four Geraniaceae flank rearrangement end points. GC content is elevated in the genomes and also in coding regions relative to other rosids. Codon usage per amino acid and GC content at third position sites are significantly different for Geraniaceae protein-coding sequences relative to other rosids. Our findings suggest that relaxed selection and/or mutational biases lead to increased GC content, and this in turn altered codon usage. We propose that increases in genomic rearrangements, repetitive DNA, nucleotide substitutions, and GC content may be caused by relaxed selection resulting from improper DNA repair.

The mitochondrial and plastid genomes of Volvox carteri: bloated molecules rich in repetitive DNA

Background

The magnitude of noncoding DNA in organelle genomes can vary significantly; it is argued that much of this variation is attributable to the dissemination of selfish DNA. The results of a previous study indicate that the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the green alga Volvox carteri abounds with palindromic repeats, which appear to be selfish elements. We became interested in the evolution and distribution of these repeats when, during a cursory exploration of the V. carteri nuclear DNA (nucDNA) and plastid DNA (ptDNA) sequences, we found palindromic repeats with similar structural features to those of the mtDNA. Upon this discovery, we decided to investigate the diversity and evolutionary implications of these palindromic elements by sequencing and characterizing large portions of mtDNA and ptDNA and then comparing these data to the V. carteri draft nuclear genome sequence.

Results

We sequenced 30 and 420 kilobases (kb) of the mitochondrial and plastid genomes of V. carteri, respectively – resulting in partial assemblies of these genomes. The mitochondrial genome is the most bloated green-algal mtDNA observed to date: ~61% of the sequence is noncoding, most of which is comprised of short palindromic repeats spread throughout the intergenic and intronic regions. The plastid genome is the largest (>420 kb) and most expanded (>80% noncoding) ptDNA sequence yet discovered, with a myriad of palindromic repeats in the noncoding regions, which have a similar size and secondary structure to those of the mtDNA. We found that 15 kb (~0.01%) of the nuclear genome are homologous to the palindromic elements of the mtDNA, and 50 kb (~0.05%) are homologous to those of the ptDNA.

Conclusion

Selfish elements in the form of short palindromic repeats have propagated in the V. carteri mtDNA and ptDNA, resulting in the distension of these genomes. Copies of these same repeats are also found in a small fraction of the nucDNA, but appear to be inert in this compartment. We conclude that the palindromic repeats in V. carteri represent a single class of selfish DNA and speculate that the derivation of this element involved the lateral gene transfer of an organelle intron that first appeared in the mitochondrial genome, spreading to the ptDNA through mitochondrion-to-plastid DNA migrations, and eventually arrived in the nucDNA through organelle-to-nucleus DNA transfer events. The overall implications of palindromic repeats on the evolution of chlorophyte organelle genomes are discussed.

Extensive rearrangements in the chloroplast genome of Trachelium caeruleum are associated with repeats and tRNA genes

Chloroplast genome organization, gene order, and content are highly conserved among land plants. We sequenced the chloroplast genome of Trachelium caeruleum L. (Campanulaceae), a member of an angiosperm family known for highly rearranged genomes. The total genome size is 162,321 bp, with an inverted repeat (IR) of 27,273 bp, large single-copy (LSC) region of 100,114 bp, and small single-copy (SSC) region of 7,661 bp. The genome encodes 112 different genes, with 17 duplicated in the IR, a tRNA gene (trnI-cau) duplicated once in the LSC region, and a protein-coding gene (psbJ) with two duplicate copies, for a total of 132 putatively intact genes. ndhK may be a pseudogene with internal stop codons, and clpP, ycf1, and ycf2 are so highly diverged that they also may be pseudogenes. ycf15, rpl23, infA, and accD are truncated and likely nonfunctional. The most conspicuous feature of the Trachelium genome is the presence of 18 internally unrearranged blocks of genes inverted or relocated within the genome relative to the ancestral gene order of angiosperm chloroplast genomes. Recombination between repeats or tRNA genes has been suggested as a mechanism of chloroplast genome rearrangements. The Trachelium chloroplast genome shares with Pelargonium and Jasminum both a higher number of repeats and larger repeated sequences in comparison to eight other angiosperm chloroplast genomes, and these are concentrated near rearrangement endpoints. Genes for tRNAs occur at many but not all inversion endpoints, so some combination of repeats and tRNA genes may have mediated these rearrangements.

Plastidic trnFUUC pseudogenes in North American genus Boechera (Brassicaceae): mechanistic aspects of evolution

The origin and maintenance of a plastidic tandem repeat next to the TRNF (UUC) gene were analyzed in the genus BOECHERA in a phylogenetic context and were compared to published analogous examples that emerged in parallel in the Asteraceae and Juncaceae, respectively. Although we identified some features common to these taxonomic groups with respect to structure and origin of the region, obvious differences were encountered, which argue against a specific mechanism or evolutionary principle underlying the parallel origin and maintenance of the TRNF-tandem repeats in those families. In contrast to the situation in the Asteraceae, no reciprocal recombinant repeat types have been observed in the Brassicaceae. Forty copy types, classified into three groups, were isolated from 103 chloroplast haplotypes of BOECHERA and it was demonstrated that they are composed of four subregions of various origins. We discuss various mutation mechanisms such as DNA replication slippage, and inter- and intrachromosomal recombination which were reported to mediate variation in copy numbers and other types of observed sequence length polymorphism. It is shown that the observed molecular structure of the tandem repeat region did not fully fit the particular patterns expected under a scenario of evolution including any of the known mechanisms. Nevertheless, it appeared that intermolecular unequal crossing-over is most likely the driving force in the evolution of this tandem repeat. However, it remains to be explained, why no reciprocal recombinant copy types have been observed. The reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among copies reflected different evolutionary scenarios as follows: (1) A single and ancient origin of copies pre-dates the radiation of BOECHERA. (2) Parallel expansion and shortening of the tandem repeat within different BOECHERA lineages. (3) Conservation of the first copy, as it was the only one present in all chloroplast haplotypes.

The Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Pelargonium × hortorum: Organization and Evolution of the Largest and Most Highly Rearranged Chloroplast Genome of Land Plants

The chloroplast genome of Pelargonium x hortorum has been completely sequenced. It maps as a circular molecule of 217,942 bp and is both the largest and most rearranged land plant chloroplast genome yet sequenced. It features 2 copies of a greatly expanded inverted repeat (IR) of 75,741 bp each and, consequently, diminished single-copy regions of 59,710 and 6,750 bp. Despite the increase in size and complexity of the genome, the gene content is similar to that of other angiosperms, with the exceptions of a large number of pseudogenes, the recognition of 2 open reading frames (ORF56 and ORF42) in the trnA intron with similarities to previously identified mitochondrial products (ACRS and pvs-trnA), the losses of accD and trnT-ggu and, in particular, the presence of a highly divergent set of rpoA-like ORFs rather than a single, easily recognized gene for rpoA. The 3-fold expansion of the IR (relative to most angiosperms) accounts for most of the size increase of the genome, but an additional 10% of the size increase is related to the large number of repeats found. The Pelargonium genome contains 35 times as many 31 bp or larger repeats than the unrearranged genome of Spinacia. Most of these repeats occur near the rearrangement hotspots, and 2 different associations of repeats are localized in these regions. These associations are characterized by full or partial duplications of several genes, most of which appear to be nonfunctional copies or pseudogenes. These duplications may also be linked to the disruption of at least 1 but possibly 2 or 3 operons. We propose simple models that account for the major rearrangements with a minimum of 8 IR boundary changes and 12 inversions in addition to several insertions of duplicated sequence.

The Chloroplast Genome Sequence of the Green Alga Pseudendoclonium akinetum (Ulvophyceae) Reveals Unusual Structural Features and New Insights into the Branching Order of Chlorophyte Lineages

One major lineage of green plants, the Chlorophyta, is represented by the green algal classes Prasinophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, and Chlorophyceae. The Prasinophyceae occupies the most basal position in the Chlorophyta, but the branching order of the Ulvophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, and Chlorophyceae remains unresolved. The chloroplast genome sequences currently available for representatives of three chlorophyte classes have revealed that this genome is highly plastic, with Chlamydomonas (Chlorophyceae) and Chlorella (Trebouxiophyceae) showing fewer ancestral features than Nephroselmis (Prasinophyceae). We report the 195,867-bp chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequence of Pseudendoclonium akinetum (Ulvophyceae), a member of the class that has not been previously examined for detailed cpDNA analysis. This genome shares common evolutionary trends with its Chlorella and Chlamydomonas homologs. The gene content, number of ancestral gene clusters, and abundance of short dispersed repeats in Pseudendoclonium cpDNA are intermediate between those observed for Chlorella and Chlamydomonas cpDNAs. Although Pseudendoclonium cpDNA features a large inverted repeat, its quadripartite structure is unusual in displaying an rRNA operon transcribed toward the large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy region containing 14 genes that are normally found in the LSC region. Twenty-seven group I introns lie in nine genes and fall within four subgroups (IA1, IA2, IA3, and IB); 19 encode putative homing endonucleases, and 7 have homologs at identical insertion sites in other chlorophyte or streptophyte organelle genomes. The high similarity observed among the 14 IA1 and 7 IA2 introns and their encoded endonucleases suggests that many introns arose from intragenomic proliferation of a few founding introns in the lineage leading to Pseudendoclonium. Interestingly, one intron (in atpA) and some of the dispersed repeats also reside in Pseudendoclonium mitochondria, providing strong evidence for interorganellar lateral transfer of these genetic elements. Phylogenetic analyses of 58 cpDNA-encoded proteins and genes support the hypothesis that the Ulvophyceae is sister to the Trebouxiophyceae but cannot eliminate the hypothesis that the Ulvophyceae is sister to the Chlorophyceae. We favor the latter hypothesis because it is strongly supported by phylogenetic analyses of gene order data and by independent structural evidence based on shared gene losses and rearrangement break points within ancestrally conserved gene clusters.

Methods for obtaining and analyzing whole chloroplast genome sequences

During the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in our understanding of plastid genome organization and evolution due to the availability of many new completely sequenced genomes. There are 45 complete genomes published and ongoing projects are likely to increase this sampling to nearly 200 genomes during the next 5 years. Several groups of researchers including ours have been developing new techniques for gathering and analyzing entire plastid genome sequences and details of these developments are summarized in this chapter. The most important developments that enhance our ability to generate whole chloroplast genome sequences involve the generation of pure fractions of chloroplast genomes by whole genome amplification using rolling circle amplification, cloning genomes into Fosmid or bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors, and the development of an organellar annotation program (Dual Organellar GenoMe Annotator [DOGMA]). In addition to providing details of these methods, we provide an overview of methods for analyzing complete plastid genome sequences for repeats and gene content, as well as approaches for using gene order and sequence data for phylogeny reconstruction. This explosive increase in the number of sequenced plastid genomes and improved computational tools will provide many insights into the evolution of these genomes and much new data for assessing relationships at deep nodes in plants and other photosynthetic organisms.

Chloroplast DNA rearrangements in Campanulaceae: phylogenetic utility of highly rearranged genomes

BACKGROUND

The Campanulaceae (the "hare bell" or "bellflower" family) is a derived angiosperm family comprised of about 600 species treated in 35 to 55 genera. Taxonomic treatments vary widely and little phylogenetic work has been done in the family. Gene order in the chloroplast genome usually varies little among vascular plants. However, chloroplast genomes of Campanulaceae represent an exception and phylogenetic analyses solely based on chloroplast rearrangement characters support a reasonably well-resolved tree.

RESULTS

Chloroplast DNA physical maps were constructed for eighteen representatives of the family. So many gene order changes have occurred among the genomes that characterizing individual mutational events was not always possible. Therefore, we examined different, novel scoring methods to prepare data matrices for cladistic analysis. These approaches yielded largely congruent results but varied in amounts of resolution and homoplasy. The strongly supported nodes were common to all gene order analyses as well as to parallel analyses based on ITS and rbcL sequence data. The results suggest some interesting and unexpected intrafamilial relationships. For example fifteen of the taxa form a derived clade; whereas the remaining three taxa--Platycodon, Codonopsis, and Cyananthus--form the basal clade. This major subdivision of the family corresponds to the distribution of pollen morphology characteristics but is not compatible with previous taxonomic treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Our use of gene order data in the Campanulaceae provides the most highly resolved phylogeny as yet developed for a plant family using only cpDNA rearrangements. The gene order data showed markedly less homoplasy than sequence data for the same taxa but did not resolve quite as many nodes. The rearrangement characters, though relatively few in number, support robust and meaningful phylogenetic hypotheses and provide new insights into evolutionary relationships within the Campanulaceae.

The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii plastid chromosome: islands of genes in a sea of repeats

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular eukaryotic alga possessing a single chloroplast that is widely used as a model system for the study of photosynthetic processes. This report analyzes the surprising structural and evolutionary features of the completely sequenced 203,395-bp plastid chromosome. The genome is divided by 21.2-kb inverted repeats into two single-copy regions of approximately 80 kb and contains only 99 genes, including a full complement of tRNAs and atypical genes encoding the RNA polymerase. A remarkable feature is that >20% of the genome is repetitive DNA: the majority of intergenic regions consist of numerous classes of short dispersed repeats (SDRs), which may have structural or evolutionary significance. Among other sequenced chlorophyte plastid genomes, only that of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris appears to share this feature. The program MultiPipMaker was used to compare the genic complement of Chlamydomonas with those of other chloroplast genomes and to scan the genomes for sequence similarities and repetitive DNAs. Among the results was evidence that the SDRs were not derived from extant coding sequences, although some SDRs may have arisen from other genomic fragments. Phylogenetic reconstruction of changes in plastid genome content revealed that an accelerated rate of gene loss also characterized the Chlamydomonas/Chlorella lineage, a phenomenon that might be independent of the proliferation of SDRs. Together, our results reveal a dynamic and unusual plastid genome whose existence in a model organism will allow its features to be tested functionally.

TCA1, a single nuclear-encoded translational activator specific for petA mRNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast

We isolated seven allelic nuclear mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii specifically blocked in the translation of cytochrome f, a major chloroplast-encoded subunit of the photosynthetic electron transport chain encoded by the petA gene. We recovered one chloroplast suppressor in which the coding region of petA was now expressed under the control of a duplicated 5' untranslated region from another open reading frame of presently unknown function. Since we also recovered 14 nuclear intragenic suppressors, we ended up with 21 alleles of a single nuclear gene we called TCA1 for translation of cytochrome b(6)f complex petA mRNA. The high number of TCA1 alleles, together with the absence of genetic evidence for other nuclear loci controlling translation of the chloroplast petA gene, strongly suggests that TCA1 is the only trans-acting factor. We studied the assembly-dependent regulation of cytochrome f translation--known as the CES process--in TCA1-mutated contexts. In the presence of a leaky tca1 allele, we observed that the regulation of cytochrome f translation was now exerted within the limits of the restricted translational activation conferred by the altered version of TCA1 as predicted if TCA1 was the ternary effector involved in the CES process.

Extraordinary features in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast genome: (1). rps2 as part of a large open reading frame; (2). A C. reinhardtii specific repeat sequence

We have determined the DNA sequence of the 3574-bp chloroplast DNA fragment of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii formed by the overlap of BamHI fragment 3 and EcoRI fragment 5. This sequence encodes most of rps18 and orf570, an unidentified open reading frame that contains a 150 amino acid domain with high homology to the N-terminal part of 30 S ribosomal protein S2 of other chloroplast, cyanobacterial and bacterial genomes. Between these two sequences lies a highly repetitive sequence element of 500 bp, that is composed of multiple direct and inverted repeat sequences that occur in rearranged, but highly conserved form in at least 36 locations in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast genome. Among the conserved repeat sequences in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast genome we identified the borders of the inverted repeats near atpB and rps4. This might indicate that the conserved sequence elements are remainders of gene rearrangements in the chloroplast genome that occurred by relocations of the inverted repeats.