title: Massive gene transfer and extensive RNA editing of a symbiotic dinoflagellate plastid genome.
abstract: Genome sequencing of Symbiodinium minutum revealed that 95 of 109 plastid-associated genes have been transferred to the nuclear genome and subsequently expanded by gene duplication. Only 14 genes remain in plastids and occur as DNA minicircles. Each minicircle (1.8-3.3 kb) contains one gene and a conserved noncoding region containing putative promoters and RNA-binding sites. Nine types of RNA editing, including a novel G/U type, were discovered in minicircle transcripts but not in genes transferred to the nucleus. In contrast to DNA editing sites in dinoflagellate mitochondria, which tend to be highly conserved across all taxa, editing sites employed in DNA minicircles are highly variable from species to species. Editing is crucial for core photosystem protein function. It restores evolutionarily conserved amino acids and increases peptidyl hydropathy. It also increases protein plasticity necessary to initiate photosystem complex assembly.
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan msutada@gmail.com eiichi@oist.jp.
authors.forename: Sutada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mungpakdee
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Chuya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shinzato
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, JapanDNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hisata
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.affiliation: DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujie
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut.
authors.forename: Senjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan.
authors.forename: Nori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan msutada@gmail.com eiichi@oist.jp.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shoguchi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D054627:Genome, Plastid; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017393:RNA Editing; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016053:RNA, Protozoan
keywords: RNA editing; Symbiodinium minutum; dinoflagellate; hydropathy; light-harvesting complex proteins; minicircles; plastid-associated genes