Chloroplast genes transferred to the nuclear plant genome have adjusted to nuclear base composition and codon usage.
During plant evolution, some plastid genes have been moved to the nuclear genome. These transferred genes are now correctly expressed in the nucleus, their products being transported into the chloroplast. We compared the base compositions, the distributions of some dinucleotides and codon usages of transferred, nuclear and chloroplast genes in two dicots and two monocots plant species. Our results indicate that transferred genes have adjusted to nuclear base composition and codon usage, being now more similar to the nuclear genes than to the chloroplast ones in every species analyzed.
Oliver
J L
JL
Unidad de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
Marín
A
A
Martínez-Zapater
J M
JM
D001482:Base Composition; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000502:physiology*; D003062:Codon; D017343:Genes, Plant; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*
D003062:Codon