title: An exceptional group-I intron-like insertion in the SSU rDNA of lichen mycobionts.
abstract: An exceptional group-I intron-like insertion at position 940 of the nuclear small subunit rDNA is found in lichen mycobionts of the families Parmeliaceae and Lecanoraceae. This shared insertion site is exceptional as it follows a G. Although several features of the self-splicing Tetrahymena intron are missing, the conserved structure of the presumed core region indicates that the new intron-like insertion, which is missing in mature transcripts, is not part of a silenced ribosomal repeat. It is unlikely that the new insertion is horizontally transferred from the adjacent position 943. A phylogenetic analysis indicates congruence with lichen phylogeny and suggests that the insertion has been vertically inherited.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Botanik, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Holteigasse 6, A-8010 Graz, Austria. martin.grube@kfunigraz.ac.at
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grube
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gutmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arup
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de los Rios
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wedin
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics; D007438:Introns; D008011:Lichens / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal